Little Explorers
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Grantham for children from birth to 8+, open 07:45 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2023. Open since 2014, with 62 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 Lincolnshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Lincolnshire 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
NG31 9PPWhat 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, 26 September 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle quickly and show positive relationships with staff. For example, children in the lower toddler room smile when they play peekaboo with a staff member as they look at them from behind a tent. Children in the pre-school room sit on the staff's knee for comfort during planned activities. Children are supported by staff to keep themselves safe. For example, when children attempt to climb on furniture in the lower toddler room, staff remind them to put their feet on the floor.
When children follow the staff's instructions, they receive praise for listening.
Children are supported to develop their physical skills. For example, children in the lower toddler room are supported by staff to develop the strength in their legs to stand. Children in the upper toddler room are asked by staff to use their large arm movements to transfer water from one container to another. Children in the preschool room use the muscles in their hands when they copy staff and use a screwdriver to release a screw from wood. Staff encourage children to learn new skills. For example, as they show them how to make the gap at the end of an adjustable spanner wider. When children persevere and complete this task on their own, they receive praise from staff for their efforts, telling them they have learned something new.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the information gathered from parents when children first start, to help staff understand children's prior learning on entry n help staff to consistently support pre-school children to take turns in conversations and to listen to the views of others during group times.
- 26 September 2023Good
- 5 February 2018Good
- 24 July 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Explorers
- 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.