Little Characters
Good★ 4.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Chesterfield for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025. Open since 2011, with 39 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 Derbyshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Derbyshire 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
S43 1GHWhat 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, 20 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this nurturing and welcoming setting. Staff know the children well and provide a variety of learning opportunities through carefully planned experiences and routines. For example, staff encourage children to count the number of strawberries they are serving themselves at snack time.
Staff check children's understanding by helping them re-count the strawberries on their plate. Children eagerly line up in readiness for outdoor play, where staff help children count their friends. They count backwards from six to one, and children exclaim 'blast off!' Staff are good role models and support children to develop positive behaviours. This sees children be kind to their friends, use their manners and take turns during play.
Staff lead small-group activities, allowing children to share previous learning with their friends. For example, children are keen to view the setting's caterpillars.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop planning to provide more consistent opportunities for children to enjoy physical play to help develop their large-muscle skills n develop the consistency of staff interactions with children to fully support and extend each child's learning.
- 20 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 13 August 2019Good
- 10 December 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Characters
- 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.