Little Acorns Day Nursery

A baby garden separated by wooden fencing, four named rooms and a purpose-built setting in the grounds of De Lacy Academy give Little Acorns Day Nursery a clear physical identity. Its youngest room, Tigger's Tots, accommodates 12 children, with direct access to its own outdoor space. For parents choosing baby care, that combination of room size and separate outdoor provision is a useful starting point.

At its 1 June 2026 inspection, Ofsted assessed achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare and wellbeing, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance as Strong standard. Those are separate area judgements, rather than an overall grade. The nursery accepts children from birth to five for its early-years provision, while its older room also accommodates school-age children after school and in the holidays.

Practical arrangements include hourly childcare with a minimum session length, a full-week booking option and before- and after-school care. The nursery's own 30-space car park is another concrete advantage for families bringing children by car.

Rooms and Ages

Tigger's Tots serves babies from birth to 20 months, combining developmentally appropriate toys with individual routines and a separate outdoor area reached directly from the playroom. The grass gives children space to practise crawling and walking, while low wooden fencing divides their area from older children's play spaces. Parents supply details of their baby's routine and update staff when it changes. That makes continuity between home and nursery part of the room's daily organisation.

Roo's Juniors accommodates 20 children aged 20 to 30 months, with role play, messy activities and resources for hand skills alongside a quiet corner for rest. Water and sand give toddlers opportunities to investigate materials. The room places emphasis on social development, so practical exploration sits alongside learning to play with other children.

Roo's Seniors accommodates 20 children aged 30 to 40 months, with construction toys, jigsaws, collage, a book corner and a regularly refreshed Home Corner supporting social and manipulative skills. Dressing-up materials extend role play. This room combines activities children can choose and handle themselves with a quieter place for stories.

Kanga's Kids takes up to 32 children from 40 months, emphasising independence, social development and early writing through freely accessible drawing materials, smaller construction toys and graded puzzles. Its more structured environment prepares children for the move to school. Children up to eight join this room after school and during school holidays, an important part of the room's age mix for families to understand.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Practitioners combine observations of everyday activities with information from parents to plan around each child's development, making what children can do and understand the starting point for their next activities.

In June 2026, teaching gave substantial attention to language, emotional development and physical skills. Books, songs and rhymes featured in play, and children brought familiar stories into their outdoor games on the climbing frame. Visual prompts and objects helped communication, giving children ways to understand and participate beyond spoken instructions alone.

The same June 2026 account included babies practising standing and moving around furniture, toddlers joining songs with actions, and older children tackling outdoor balancing equipment. Play dough and tools supported hand control. These examples show how physical development ran through both active outdoor play and smaller, concentrated tasks indoors.

Outdoor and Community Life

For children aged 20 months and above, three separate outdoor areas extend the indoor rooms. Outdoor activities are planned daily, and children are encouraged to use these spaces during each session. Younger babies have their own area instead of sharing those older children's spaces.

Relationships and Communication

Individual routines are a recurring feature across the rooms. Baby routines are supplied by parents, while staff in the older rooms accommodate children's needs within the room's day. This is especially relevant around rest, meals and changes between rooms: parents have a defined role in explaining what their child is used to.

In June 2026, key persons offered familiar reassurance, with settling routines and transitions between rooms planned around children's needs. Staff also helped children recognise feelings and practise managing them. These were everyday care practices, rather than isolated activities, connecting emotional support with the rhythm of the nursery day.

In June 2026, families received regular updates and ideas for supporting learning at home, connecting nursery activities with support beyond the setting.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that safeguarding standards were met and that tailored teaching, adjusted routines and targeted support helped children with SEND and other barriers make sustained progress. Concrete support included visual communication resources and quiet spaces where children could practise calming themselves. The June 2026 next steps called for continued improvement, with attention to the experiences and outcomes of disadvantaged children, children with SEND and those facing other barriers.

In June 2026, a nursery cook prepared home-cooked meals, with dietary needs and allergies accommodated. Meals are included when they fall within the child's booked session, so food arrangements connect directly to attendance times.

A facial recognition system controls entry and exit to the building. Accidents are handled by a trained team member and reported to parents, while prescription medication requires a permission form. Families also supply spare clothes, which are especially useful during toilet training; emergency contact details need to remain current so staff can reach parents if a child becomes unwell.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Middle Lane, Knottingley, WF11 0BZ, in the grounds of De Lacy Academy; the postal address also uses Knottingley High School. Ordinary opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. A 7.30am start can be arranged for an additional charge.

Hourly childcare has a three-hour minimum per child, except for sessions before or after the school day. A full week runs from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and attracts a discount when the whole week is booked. A sibling discount applies to the older child. These conditions matter when comparing a regular weekly arrangement with shorter bookings.

The nursery operates across the year, closing for specified Christmas days, public bank holidays and staff training days. Before- and after-school provision sits alongside holiday care for older children. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01977 679123 or through the contact form, and visits can be arranged.

Getting There

The nursery has its own 30-space car park, and the site has access to the A1 and M62.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the Working Parent Entitlement for children aged nine months to four years, the entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, and funding for eligible two-year-olds. Eligibility conditions apply to working-parent and two-year-old funding; the three- and four-year-old entitlement begins in the term following the child's third birthday. Private hourly childcare is also offered.

Meals are included if a meal occurs during the booked session. The early-start service carries an additional charge, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and funding page sets out the booking and discount conditions.

Sharing De Lacy Academy's grounds does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still use the local authority admissions process for a state-school place, keeping the childcare decision separate from the school application.

• The youngest room. Tigger's Tots accommodates 12 babies and has its own outdoor area. During a visit, ask how rest and individual routines work alongside play in that room.
• The older-room age mix. Kanga's Kids includes children up to eight after school and in holidays. Ask how activities and space are organised when preschool and school-age children attend together.
• Booking and funded hours. The three-hour minimum has an exception for before- and after-school sessions, and early starts cost extra. Ask for one written arrangement covering your intended attendance, funded-hour delivery and any consumables charges.
• Dietary needs. Meals were adapted for allergies and special diets in June 2026. Families managing an allergy should confirm current preparation and serving arrangements before agreeing their child's care plan.

Little Acorns suits families booking a full week, flexible hourly sessions or care before or after the school day. Separate baby outdoor provision, clearly named age-stage rooms and a dedicated car park give it practical substance. The June 2026 area judgements add a strong inspection position, while the older-room age mix and the fit between funding and booked hours deserve attention when choosing an arrangement.