Little Treasures Nursery

Two gardens and a room designed for very young children give Little Treasures Nursery a clear physical identity. This Washington setting combines baby care with preschool provision, with 34 places in total for children aged 3 to 60 months. Its setting on Blue House Lane in Concord puts it opposite Albany Park, with a private family car park on site.

At its November 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged all six evaluated areas to be at the Expected standard and safeguarding standards to be met. The useful detail lies beneath those judgements: communication runs through the day, visual prompts help children understand routines, and a regulation room gives children somewhere to go when expectations become overwhelming.

Funded childcare and private care can be combined, while private attendance carries a minimum of three sessions each week. The practical appeal is the choice of attendance arrangements alongside provision for different stages of early childhood.

Rooms and Ages

Babies have a room designed for their stage, with key workers supporting their care and development; toddlers learn in a bright, airy environment, while preschool children use the Little Treasures Room and outdoor gardens for activities that develop readiness for school and an interest in nature.

In November 2025, independence was practised through ordinary tasks. Older children changed from shoes into wellingtons for outdoor play, with adult encouragement. Babies explored sound and movement by striking pans with spoons, while older children handled brushes in water play. Such examples make the learning concrete: hands, movement and everyday materials were part of the educational day.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, covering communication, physical development and other areas through everyday experiences. It is the baseline for provision here. In November 2025, songs, conversation and shared stories were woven into routines, alongside early mathematics and opportunities to move indoors and outside.

Makaton, used in November 2025 to help children communicate through signing, added another route for children beginning to express themselves. Visual timetables showed older children what would happen next, while cards indicating the present and following activity helped children engage with routines. Communication therefore extended beyond spoken instructions.

Books also had a practical place in that November 2025 day. Adults demonstrated gentle page turning to the youngest children, and children returned to favourite stories. Assessments of children's starting points informed the next activities staff planned. The improvement priority was consistency: less-experienced practitioners needed more targeted coaching so that teaching worked equally well across the team.

Outdoor and Community Life

The two gardens include landscaped spaces designed by an architect. Preschool activities use the gardens to encourage an interest in nature, giving outdoor learning a place within the nursery rather than making it dependent on outings.

Reusing materials, recycling and repurposing are part of the nursery's environmental approach. These practices sit alongside the gardens as tangible aspects of the setting's character. Albany Park is an address landmark; the outdoor provision described here is the nursery's own.

Relationships and Communication

In November 2025, key people could explain individual children's learning and next steps, and everyday care included songs and explanations during personal care routines. Staff checked sleeping children regularly. These details matter because the youngest children experience care and learning together, through familiar adults and repeated interactions.

Parent communication has both personal and digital routes. Families receive an invitation to the Parent Portal after submitting the registration form, and the parent sign-in provides access to the nursery newsletter. In November 2025, conversations with families also took place around the beginning and end of sessions, giving parents an opportunity to discuss their child's day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that children progressed from their starting points and that assessment, timely intervention and regularly reviewed individual plans supported children with SEND or other barriers to learning. Plans involved parents and external professionals, making the support a shared task rather than an isolated nursery activity.

The regulation room was in use in November 2025 for children overwhelmed by routines or behaviour expectations. Adults also used visual prompts and adapted activities. Those are useful mechanisms to discuss for a child who needs help understanding the sequence of a day or managing a busy group environment.

Information-sharing with professionals and parents remained a November 2025 improvement priority. So did helping children develop lasting healthy habits through meals, activities and routines. Families weighing additional support should consider both the practical mechanisms and these areas for further work.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. Private care includes full-time, part-time and flexicare arrangements, with a minimum booking of three sessions per week; all-day and morning sessions are also offered. That minimum matters for families planning occasional private care.

The annual schedule includes closures on bank holidays, two weeks at Christmas and two weeks in summer. Funded admissions have September, January and April intakes. For private Tiny Treasures care, covering 9 months to 2 years, applications are made in person; private care for children aged 2 years and above can be registered online or in person.

Getting There

The address is Blue House Lane, Concord, Washington, NE37 2TE, opposite Albany Park and beside a zebra crossing. Families have an exclusive on-site car park, and Concord Bus station is nearby, with bus stops a short walk away.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible children from 9 months to primary-school age can use funded provision, with 15- and 30-hour entitlement options. Private care carries a registration charge, and digital invoices, online card payments and payment tracking support the account arrangements. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Meals are prepared in the nursery's catering kitchen and served in a designated dining area; families complete a dietary requirements form before the meal service begins. For children with special dietary requirements, the nursery recommends meals from home.

In November 2025, staff worked with local schools on transitions and supported parents with the next step towards school. This was preparation for the move, rather than a named admissions pathway.

• Teaching consistency. November 2025 priorities included more targeted coaching for less-experienced staff. During a visit, ask how supervision now supports consistent interactions across the team.
• Meal charges and dietary needs. Private daycare terms charge separately for lunches, while the menu terms include meals in private fees for children over 12 months. These terms conflict, so obtain a written quotation that settles the meal arrangement for your child, and confirm current practice for any dietary needs.
• Private attendance commitment. The minimum is three sessions each week, and private Tiny Treasures applications are in person. Consider whether that commitment fits the childcare pattern you need.
• Additional support. Individual plans and a regulation room were part of November 2025 practice, while information-sharing remained an improvement priority. Ask how your child's plan would be reviewed with you and any professionals involved.

Little Treasures suits families considering morning sessions, all-day attendance or flexicare, including those combining funded and private care. The gardens, baby environment and communication strategies give it a recognisable character. The November 2025 position also leaves clear questions about teaching consistency, healthy routines and information-sharing. A decision should weigh those priorities alongside the private booking minimum and the meal terms agreed for the child.