Little Gems Day Nursery
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Sleaford 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 Good by Ofsted in August 2025. Open since 2017, with 75 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
NG34 7EQWhat 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, 12 August 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The nursery provides a nurturing, family-oriented environment, where each child and their family are recognised, valued and supported. Children are consistently encouraged to become confident, independent and responsible from an early age.
The youngest children are supported to develop important physical and self-care skills. For example, babies are encouraged to pull themselves up to access the ball pool and roll the balls, while toddlers begin to wash their hands independently and enjoy sharing tools and equipment during sensory play. Older children show increasing confidence at mealtimes. They serve themselves and use knives and forks with skill and care. Staff consistently model positive behaviours, using polite language, such as please and thank you. As a result, children copy this respectful language and use good manners naturally in their play and interactions with others.
Children enjoy talking about what they have been learning and doing. Cookery Club is a favourite, children chat about the ingredients they use, what they make and the end results.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance staff understanding and practice of how to help children develop a wide and varied vocabulary n extend the curriculum to provide further opportunities for children to learn about cultural diversity and different communities to their own.
- 12 August 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 30 January 2020Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Gems Day Nursery
- 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.