Little Sunshines Pre-School (Somercotes)
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Alfreton for babies from 9 months up to school age, open 07:00 to 19:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2023. Open since 2014, with 42 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
15 hrs per week · 3–4 year olds; 30 hrs per week · 9 months+; 15 hrs per week · eligible 2 year olds.
What childcare usually costs in Derbyshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Derbyshire 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
DE55 1LBWhat 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, 19 September 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children develop secure and trusting relationships with staff. To this end, children happily leave their parents at the door and eagerly explore the enticing activities on offer. Toddlers exclaim, 'Wow' as they enter the room and pre-school children focus for long periods of time on their chosen activity. Staff encourage children to do as much as possible for themselves. Pre-school children cut fruit in half, pour their drinks and wash their faces after snack time. Toddlers put leftovers in the bin, hang their coat on their peg and go to the toilet themselves. Staff show interest in children's achievements and constantly praise their efforts. Toddlers show pride as they receive a sticker for tasting a new fruit. Pre-school children excitedly show staff they have zipped up their coat for the first time. This helps develop children's self-esteem and confidence.
Toddlers use their imagination as they re-enact favourite stories. During a walk in the community, children pretend to swish through the long grass, squelch through the mud, and splash through the puddles as they go on a bear hunt. Staff extend children's interests in the fallen leaves they find. They talk to children about the different colours and shapes and help them to compare which leaves are wet and which are dry. Children learn how to be safe when staff remind them how to cross the road. Children recall that they need to listen and look for cars.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- improve how transitions are arranged between activities in the daily routine, with particular reference to younger children, to ensure their learning needs are met at all times n organise song time to ensure that younger children are able to fully engage and do not have their learning disrupted.
- 19 September 2023Good
- 4 November 2022Needs improvement
- 24 November 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Sunshines Pre-School (Somercotes)
- What it costs
- 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.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.