Little Acorns Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Lancing for children from birth to 5, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2022. Open since 2008, with 32 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 West Sussex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West Sussex 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
BN15 9NZWhat 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, 9 May 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at the setting excited to see their friends. They wave goodbye to their parents and are full of enthusiasm for the day ahead. Children are beginning to manage their own feelings and behaviour. They share resources with each other and wait patiently for their turn. When minor disagreements occur, staff respond sensitively and provide children with solutions to help them resolve the situation.
Children achieve well and make good progress in their development. They access a variety of opportunities to support their learning across the curriculum.
Children use their imaginations to act out storylines with the energetic, engaging staff. For example, they hide in the book corner as they pretend there is a pirate outside who is looking for them. Children demonstrate good literacy skills and suggest how the story should evolve. They are engaged and enthusiastic in the learning experiences available. Children develop good listening and attention skills during group activities. They giggle with delight as staff show them different objects of interest that have been hidden in a bucket. In the garden, children build their gross motor skills pushing the wheeled toys up the slope before whizzing back down.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide opportunities for children to do even more for themselves during planned activities and everyday experiences, to further develop their independence and extend their learning n incorporate teaching about the safe use of technology into the curriculum in an age-appropriate way.
- 9 May 2022Good
- 24 November 2016Good
- 17 October 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Acorns 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.