Why Little Oaks?
We are not a conventional nursery!

We have ambitious aspirations for every child, supporting them as they express themselves in a variety of ways including managing risk and developing confidence through new skills. The development of curriculum areas goes hand-in-hand with the teaching of being kind and looking after each other and their world.

How do I know what my child is learning?
Rather than writing daily reports we prefer to spend the maximum possible time with the children, but key people are on hand each day either at drop off or pick up to keep you completely up-to-date. All nurseries and preschools are required by law to follow the Early Year Foundation Stage Curriculum, and we all do so in our own way. At Little Oaks, it is a holistic approach where we recognise each child’s individual needs and challenges whilst celebrating their differences and each step of their development. To record and assess their progress we use a tool called eyLog, which is an online / tablet-based means of recording special moments, next steps and an assessment of how each child is reaching his or her potential using the EYFS as a yardstick. You’ll be invited to install an app on your phone / devices and will receive regular updates this way. Any number of family members can be registered to receive the updates: it’s your choice. We hold parents’ meetings in the autumn and spring terms and a report in the summer term – we’re likely to tie these in with TGFS dates next year, but that’s unconfirmed at the moment. However, any parent can request a meeting at a few days’ notice and we will make it happen!

Tell me about your staff
Our team is hugely experienced, and we support and encourage further training in all areas of the curriculum, child development, special educational needs, pedagogical skills, health & safety and safeguarding. For some, this has meant studying for further formal qualifications (and I’m proud to say that three staff members have completed their BA Hons degrees in Early Years supported by us, with one more to graduate this June and another in 2021!) whilst we also employ graduates as well as those with a Level 3 qualification in Early Years. Our SEN experience means we are well-placed to support numerous additional needs, as not only do we have experience on our side, but we work very closely with other agencies so we can introduce extra professional support when required.

How much will I pay?
Our nursery fees are £8.50 per hour, and as you may be aware the 15-hour funding covers £4.33 of this. We ask parents to pay a contribution of the difference between the funding and our costs if possible, but would never turn anyone away if they could not or preferred to make a lower monthly contribution. We do need some level of contribution in order to stay in business and pay our team to continue to provide the high levels of care we expect and parents should, too.

We don’t charge fees or contributions for any other activities, and within the Breakfast and After School hours the breakfast and tea meals are included in the cost to parents. We are planning to link in with the provider of TGFS hot lunches and if so, we will need to make a charge accordingly. We met with the supplier recently and are impressed at the value and quality they offer.

How do I find out more?
Please contact us at ruthiepocock@little-oaks.org or on 07881 737149.