Little Plums Day Nursery
GoodTakes funded hours★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Mansfield for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. £78.00 a day, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2023. Open since 2017, with 62 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
51 weeks a year.
| Age | Full day | Session | Weekly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | £78.00 | £50.00Half Day | £390.00Full Week |
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- 10% Adhoc Private Sessionsif not a regular ongoing booked pattern
- £1.00 per 15 minutes Late collection chargerounded up to nearest 15mins
- £17.00 an hour Bolt on Hoursubject to availability
- £25.00 Late payment chargeand then per month that it remains outstanding
- £25.00 Session amendment admin charge
What a funded hour still costs
Funded hours cover the childcare. These are charged alongside them.
- £6.00 a day mealsFor a part or fully funded sessions
- £7.80 an hour Full Daysremaining hours for the part funded session are chargeable
- £10.00 an hour Half daysremaining hours for the part funded session are chargeable
Funded hours
Up to 30 hours a week during term time; New Government Funded hours are available for +9 month olds, 2, 3, & 4-Year-Olds.
Worth knowing. Funded Hours are deducted first from the session at zero cost. When all available funded hours for the week have been used, the remaining hours for the part funded session are chargeable. For a part or fully funded sessions, meals have a set daily charge – £6. We offer stretched funded hours, where the funded hours are stretched across 51 weeks of the year.
What childcare usually costs in Nottinghamshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Nottinghamshire 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
NG18 1BAWhat 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, 23 November 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders know what they want children to learn and how they want their curriculum to be implemented and are working with staff to achieve their aims. Children arrive happy to see staff and their friends and eager to play. They demonstrate what they have learned previously. For example, by using a picture and recognising their name, children know where to hang up their belongings. Children demonstrate their growing imaginations as they help staff to hunt for 'dragons' in the garden.
Staff teach them how to use a magnifying glass and support them to use their physical skills to run, jump and balance. Children confidently share ideas with their friends, including needing a flashlight to look in dark places. Staff extend children's learning, suggesting that they could find petrol and explaining what it is and what it is used for. Children listen carefully to staff instructions and guidance to complete puzzles. They persevere and develop their problem-solving skills when comparing shapes, sizes and patterns to find pieces that fit.
Babies eagerly join in with singing during group sessions. Toddlers explore model dinosaurs, matching them to images on a nearby card that gives the details of many different species. Children show great physical skills as they create birthday cakes and Christmas trees using play dough and a range of resources such as tinsel, baubles and twigs. Children generally behave well, and staff provide good direction to help them learn to share and take turns. There are occasions, however, when staff do not give children an explanation about why their behaviour is not appropriate, to help children better understand what is expected of them. Children receive cuddles and enjoy cosy moments with staff. Most staff talk to children throughout the day, ensuring that they understand what is happening next when routines change.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- improve management oversight of the care and education provided to children n help staff to support all children's care and developmental needs during daily routines and transitions n help children to understand the consequences of their actions.
- 23 November 2023Good
- 24 October 2019Outstanding
- 17 January 2019Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Plums Day Nursery
- Youngest age taken
- 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.
- Is £78.00 a day still the rate? 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.