Liliput Day Nursery, York

A separate sleep area for the youngest babies, sensory play in Busy Burrows and care-home visits for preschool children give Liliput Day Nursery, York a recognisable shape. This purpose-built setting in Nether Poppleton combines spaces for different stages of childhood with learning planned around children's interests.

The nursery cares for children from 3 months to 5 years and has 40 places in total. At its March 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare and wellbeing, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance to be at Strong standard, with safeguarding standards met. Those are area judgements rather than an overall grade.

Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings give families different attendance patterns, with no minimum number of days required.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Nest serves children aged 3 to 12 months, with a separate sleep area, milk kitchen and changing room, while Baby Nook serves those aged 12 to 24 months with activities adapted to the individual child; across both baby areas, the emphasis is on language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. Separating sleep and changing from play gives these everyday care needs their own spaces. Activities follow babies' interests rather than expecting them to fit a single task.

Busy Burrows, for children aged 24 to 32 months, combines sand, water and play-dough activities with construction, role play, art and a quiet space for books or rest, supported by outdoor space used by children under 32 months. That makes room for both active exploration and a pause. The key-person approach continues here, alongside activities informed by children's interests and the skills they are developing.

Hive and Hollow are the preschool rooms, where large spaces and planned activities support decision-making, negotiation and the consolidation of skills before school. Preparation involves children making choices and taking part in their community, as well as developing new abilities. Visits to a local care home extend that work beyond the nursery.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning and development: children build skills through play, with activities responding to their interests and the next things they need to learn. It is the foundation of the provision, rather than an extra programme. In Hive and Hollow, staff monitor development and use it to plan opportunities that revisit existing skills and introduce new ones.

In March 2026, language activities built from younger children's actions and repeated words towards older children's use of familiar phrases, recognition of their names and awareness of letter sounds. Songs and stories were part of the day.

Mathematics followed a similar progression in March 2026: counting songs and familiar routines for younger children developed into patterns, sequencing and discussion of time for older children. Physical tasks also became more precise, moving from scooping and stirring towards mark-making and handling equipment.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor space for younger children extends the play opportunities in Busy Burrows. Preschool care-home visits bring contact with people beyond children's families and nursery friendships.

In March 2026, children used outdoor balancing and climbing equipment, with ramps and bridges indoors. Younger children also took part in dance and yoga, while older children used balance beams. Meetings with local farmers and visits to care-home residents gave children opportunities to ask questions and practise conversation with different people.

Relationships and Communication

Every child is allocated a key person before starting. When a child changes room, responsibility passes to a new key person with a detailed handover. This gives families a clear contact and makes continuity an explicit part of the move between age groups, rather than treating each room as a fresh start.

Famly is the nursery's online platform for photographs, videos and updates, and parents can contribute their own images and information about life at home. Monthly newsletters and at least two parent meetings each year add scheduled opportunities for discussion. Together, these channels let parents share changes in interests or circumstances that can shape activities at nursery.

In March 2026, babies and children new to the setting had close relationships with their key person. Younger children practised feeding themselves and wiping their faces, while older children managed personal care and helped look after their surroundings. Independence was developed through ordinary care routines, not reserved for a separate learning activity.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that coordinated support, adapted equipment and communication strategies helped children with special educational needs and/or disabilities participate and progress, while setting a next step of strengthening the impact for children with SEND, children with current or past involvement with social care services, and children experiencing other obstacles to learning or wellbeing. The positive assessment and the further ambition belong together.

The practical arrangements in March 2026 included sharing specialist resources between settings and using smaller trays alongside specialist equipment so children could access activities with their friends. Personalised emotions boxes helped children identify feelings. Makaton signs, used to support communication, were incorporated into routines in ways that matched practices at home.

A calm space with individual adult support was used in March 2026 for children needing help to regulate emotions. Older children discussed feelings during daily circle time. These examples give families useful starting points for discussing how support would work for their own child.

The staff structure includes a SENCO role and an assistant designated safeguarding lead. A nursery chef is also part of the team. Meals follow the attendance pattern: morning children receive a snack and two-course lunch, afternoon children receive a snack and light tea, and full-day fees include meals and snacks. Disposable nappies and either wipes or cotton wool are supplied in the baby areas.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Unit 2F, Ings Lane, York Business Park, Nether Poppleton, York, YO26 6RA. Standard opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. An early start from 7.30am carries an additional charge.

Morning sessions run from 8am to 12.45pm; afternoon sessions run from 1.15pm to 6pm; a full day runs from 8am to 6pm. Full-time and part-time attendance are offered, without a minimum number of days. The nursery operates throughout the year, closing for bank holidays and one week at Christmas.

Families can make an enquiry by telephone, email or the contact form. The nursery's number is 01904 786541. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered alongside private childcare. The funding information sets out 15 hours of government-funded early education for eligible working parents of children aged 9 months and over, 15 hours for eligible working parents of children aged 2 years and over, and 30 hours per week for eligible working parents of children aged 3 and 4. Eligibility remains part of each entitlement; these are not promises of a funded place for every family.

For full-day private attendance, meals and snacks are included in the fee. The early start is charged separately.

• The baby-room move. Baby Nest covers 3 to 12 months and Baby Nook covers 12 to 24 months. On a visit, discuss how a move between these spaces is timed around your baby's development and care routines.
• Funding and the complete bill. Full-day fees include food, while the early start costs extra. Ask for one written breakdown covering your chosen funded and private hours, including meals and baby-care supplies.
• Support matched to your child. March 2026 practice included adapted trays, shared specialist equipment and communication signs linked to home routines. Discuss the support your child would use and how its effect would be reviewed, bearing in mind the next step concerning children facing additional barriers.

Liliput suits families choosing between morning sessions, afternoon sessions and full days, especially those who value a separate baby sleep space and continuity through a key person. Busy Burrows provides a clear bridge into preschool, while Hive and Hollow connect preparation for school with choices, negotiation and community contact.

The March 2026 area judgements provide a strong inspection position, supported by concrete examples of language teaching, independence and adapted support. The remaining ambition is to deepen the effect of that support for children facing additional barriers. For families, the decision turns on how the room progression and care arrangements fit their child, alongside the complete cost of their attendance pattern.