Little Learning Ladder
Good★ 3.9 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in New Islington for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 19:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2023. Open since 2013, with 72 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 Manchester
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Manchester 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
M4 6BUWhat 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.
- 19 December 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 1 February 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children show impressive levels of confidence at this setting. They are self-assured, expressive and eager to share their opinions. Pre-school children show a sense of security, as they feel safe to approach the inspector and share their views and questions. Younger children smile and wave and share their favourite books with the inspector. All children clearly feel content and safe with the familiar staff close by. The management team and staff have high expectations for every child. They recognise what children can already do and skilfully plan a curriculum that builds upon this knowledge. All children quickly make progress, and any gaps in development begin to diminish.
Children behave well. They are kind, use wonderful manners unprompted and help their friends. For example, older children share toys and resources with one another. Younger children excitedly point out pictures in books to their friends, sharing fun experiences together. Children listen respectfully to staff. Staff, in turn, are highly respectful to all children. They seek consent before performing personal care tasks and show children that their voices are heard by accommodating their individual choices. This helps to build strong, genuine bonds between staff and children. Children's emotional well-being is given high priority by all at this setting.
This contributes towards their happiness and levels of enjoyment while attending.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- use proper terminology when speaking with children in order to support their growing bank of vocabulary n encourage staff to allow children adequate time to think and respond when asking questions, to support their emerging critical-thinking skills.
- 1 February 2023Good
- 20 September 2017Good
- 29 August 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Learning Ladder
- 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.