FAQs

Children can join our Nursery any time from their third birthday, this gives them plenty of time to settle into school life before starting our Reception classes. We understand that the first adventure away from home can be daunting for some children, and we are here to work with you to help them settle in. We can offer flexibility in the number of sessions your child attends, with up to 15 hours support from the government’s Early Years Funding Scheme.

From September 2026, we will be delighted to accept children any time from their second birthday.

The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 08:15-16:15. There is also the option of Breakfast Club from 07:30 -08:15 and Long Stay till 18:00.

Little Acorns is located on Crosfields School campus, and has parking available directly outside the Nursery.

Our next whole school Open Morning is on 27 September, but we also offer a range of other events and tours. Please see our events page for more information and to book your place.

Upcoming events this term include:

Little Explorers 09:15 – 10:15 (Weekdays for Nursery children)

Whole School Open Morning 27 Sept 09:30 – 12:00

Nursery Stay & Play (Theme: Autumn Adventures) 8 Oct 09:15 – 10:15

Nursery Stay & Play (Theme: Winter Wonderland) 3 Dec 09:15 – 10:15

Yes, our Nursery children wear a uniform available from our supplier. We also have an onsite shop that stocks second hand items. Before your child starts at Crosfields, we provide a handbook which includes lots of helpful information including uniform lists.

Yes, we do! We offer a Holiday Club for children in both Nursery and Reception. It provides a fun, safe, and engaging environment during school breaks, with a variety of carefully planned themed activities tailored to young children.

Children enjoy a wide range of activities that include explore time and adult-led teaching. Snack time and lunch are built into the day to ensure children are happy and nourished.

Little Acorns offers a wide range of activities and play spaces within the light, bright nursery space. We also offer specialist-taught lessons in French, music, forest school and swimming. The children also enjoy cookery sessions in Little Acorns kitchen area. We offer age-appropriate spaces and activities tailored to each stage of development.

Yes, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, which provides a comprehensive framework for supporting children’s development from birth to five years old. The EYFS sets out the standards for learning, development, and care, ensuring that every child receives high-quality early education in a safe and nurturing environment.

We take a holistic and responsive approach to early childhood education. We support each child’s development and learning through an enabling environment enriched with carefully planned, child-centred activities that reflect their interests, needs, and developmental stages. Our aim is to nurture the whole child—socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually—through a balanced mix of play-based exploration and purposeful adult-led learning experiences.

We maintain high staff-to-child ratios in line with the statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. For children aged 3–4 years, we have a team of 1 qualified teacher and 2 experienced Nursery Nurses for up to 20 children. For children aged 2 years, we will have a ratio of 1 adult to every 4 children (1:4).

Starting Nursery is a big step, and there are lots of simple, positive ways you can help your child feel ready and confident:

Talk About Nursery Positively

Talk to your child about what they’ll do at Nursery—playing, making friends, story time, and fun activities. Share any information that is sent to you regarding photos of their class teacher and pictures of the setting. Read books together about starting Nursery to help them understand what to expect.

Build Independence

Encourage your child to practise putting on their coat, using the toilet, washing hands, and tidying up toys. Also let your child carry their own bag to build confidence.

Social Skills

Arrange playdates or group activities to help them get used to being around other children. Practise taking turns and sharing through games at home.

Establish a Routine

Start a consistent morning and bedtime routine a few weeks before Nursery begins. Talk through what a typical day might look like.

Visit the Nursery (if possible)

Attend any open days or settling-in sessions so your child can explore the space and meet the staff.

Our settling-in process begins with a visit alongside parents or carers at one of our Stay and Play Events, allowing children to explore the environment. Prior to their child starting there is another visit, without parents, giving children the opportunity to begin building trust with staff and confidence in the setting. Our highly experienced Early Years team takes the time to get to know each child as an individual. We carefully tailor the settling-in experience to meet their unique needs, interests, and emotional readiness. Staff provide consistent reassurance, comfort, and encouragement, helping children to feel safe, valued, and excited about their new environment. We also work closely with parents throughout the process, maintaining open communication and offering regular updates to ensure a shared understanding of each child’s progress and well-being.

All staff in our Nursery are fully trained in paediatric first aid. Their training is regularly updated and renewed every three years to ensure they remain current with best practices and any changes in guidance. While our Nursery team is equipped to manage minor first aid incidents, we are fortunate to have two fully qualified, full-time Nurses on our school site for additional support.

Every accident and first aid treatment is carefully recorded and promptly communicated to parents.

Yes, absolutely. Every member of our team has completed safeguarding training in line with EYFS statutory requirements.

We place a strong emphasis on promoting healthy eating habits from an early age. Following guidance from the Early Years Foundation Stage nutrition guidance, all snacks and meals are freshly prepared on-site by our catering team, who ensure that every offering is both healthy, nutritious, and balanced.

Yes. We can accommodate all dietary requirements including allergies, intolerances, and specific dietary preferences. From their very first day, children wear clearly identifiable badges at lunchtime to help staff quickly and easily recognise any dietary restrictions or allergies. These badges are part of a broader system that ensures every child’s safety and well-being during mealtimes.

Children looking to join the Nursery need to register, and must come along to a Stay & Play session. Places are then offered within one week of your child visiting. Please visit our Admissions page for more information.

No, children joining the Nursery are expected to do a minimum of 5 sessions (a session counts as a half day) per week. Many children build up to full time nearer to joining Reception.

Please click here to view our fees for the 2025/2026 academic year. Fees for the following year will be published in Spring.

Fees include a morning snack, lunch, educational day trips, and internal co-curricular activities.

Please contact our Admissions department for more information on funded hours: admissions@crosfields.com or telephone 0118 9871810.