Sparkles
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Carnforth for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in August 2022. Open since 2017, with 14 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 North Yorkshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in North Yorkshire 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
LA6 3DJWhat 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.
- 16 October 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 18 August 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and are eager to begin their day. They access toys and equipment independently and choose what they would like to do. Children engage in a range of interesting and stimulating activities. For instance, children select different tools for mark making and show good control as they use pencils, crayons and paint brushes. Children have good relationships with staff and seek them out to join in with their play. Staff have high expectations for all children's learning and development. They interact positively with children and demonstrate new skills, such as how to use tools and equipment effectively. Staff introduce colour names as children have a go at mixing paint. Younger children identify what they are drawing, whereas older children give a narrative to their drawings.
Children are very well behaved and polite. They demonstrate good manners at mealtimes and always say please and thank you when asking for things. Children are supported well to learn about their feelings and emotions though books and conversations. Staff are good role models and teach children about kindness and respect. Older children are considerate towards younger children. They play cooperatively together and share resources well.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support babies to develop deeper levels of interest, focus and curiosity, especially in the outdoor environment
- develop partnerships with other settings that children attend to promote continuity in children's learning and development n strengthen monitoring of staff performance to focus professional development more precisely on raising the quality of teaching.
- 18 August 2022Good
- 4 June 2021Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 1 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Sparkles
- 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.