Croston Acorns Nursery and Pre School
OutstandingBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Leyland for children from birth to 5, open 07:30 to 17:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in October 2022. Open since 2012, with 49 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Lancashire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Lancashire from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
PR26 9AAWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 17 October 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children excitedly arrive at nursery and are greeted by the vastly experienced and enthusiastic staff team. Children's independence is encouraged from the moment they step into the nursery. They are encouraged to choose a 'job' for the day and excitedly share that they are going to help with setting up for dinner. The highly effective key-person system helps to ensure that children settle quickly, feel safe, secure and are eager to learn.
Children are highly engaged in their play. They sustain excellent concentration levels and follow clear instructions from staff extremely well. The expertly planned environment ensures that children have an enormous range of experiences that reflect their interests and precisely match the next stages in their learning. Children have freedom to actively explore and lead their own play. Staff skilfully link play experiences to children's knowledge of their favourite stories. For example, during messy activities, children enthusiastically mix glitter, glue and paint. They join in with phrases, such as 'they filled up the cauldron' and other well-known lines from the story 'Room on the Broom'. Children's faces light up when they recall and make the connection between a well-known story and their own play.
Children's behaviour is exemplary. The youngest children are supported to share resources. Older children share the rules of safety when buttering bread and using a knife. Staff are meticulous in teaching children to be polite and courteous to each other.
- 17 October 2022Outstanding
- 11 November 2016Good
- 11 January 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Croston Acorns Nursery and Pre School
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.