Little Hands Nursery School - Melbourn
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Royston for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2022. Open since 2015, with 56 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
All Little Hands Nursery settings accept Early Years Funding.
Worth knowing. Early Years Funding does not cover snacks, hot meals and consumables and this leaves Little Hands with a financial shortfall. The voluntary charges are: Snack charge - £3.00 per day for children using 3 & 4 year old Early Years Funding; Hot meal - £1.50 per meal.
What childcare usually costs in Cambridgeshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Cambridgeshire 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
SG8 6EDWhat 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, 6 December 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thoroughly enjoy attending this welcoming and friendly nursery. They show that they feel safe and secure. All children form close relationships with their key person, who knows the children and their families very well. Children display a very strong sense of belonging in the nursery. They play and explore with great confidence and independence. Children behave extremely well. Books and songs help them to manage their feelings and behaviour. Staff are very good role models and encourage the concepts of kindness, courtesy and respect for others. Children learn to share, take turns and play cooperatively with their friends. Babies receive lots of individual attention and enjoy cuddles in familiar and attractive surroundings.
The manager and staff arrange the nursery environment imaginatively and creatively. Children are eager to choose their activity and explore the many exciting resources. For example, they enjoy making their own play dough. They explore how it feels as they create objects. Children eagerly roll, pat and use cutters to make shapes. Children enjoy fresh air and exercise every day. This helps them to develop their physical skills and supports their good health and well-being. Staff expertly support and prepare children for their next stages in learning and for their move to school. They ensure that all children have a happy and enjoyable nursery experience.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review and improve the organisation of group times to engage and motivate younger children, to help extend their concentration and increase their participation n support staff to make more effective use of spontaneous opportunities to extend and challenge children's learning.
- 6 December 2022Good
- 7 February 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Hands Nursery School - Melbourn
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? 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.