St Joseph's Little Scholars
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Chesterfield for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2021. Open since 2006, with 60 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 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
S41 7PLWhat 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, 18 October 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language, are happy when they arrive at the pre-school. Children show that they feel safe and secure and are eager to play with the activities on offer. They confidently join staff to share their learning experiences. One example of this is when children use numbers in their play and compare the size of objects. Children pretend to be a shop keeper and staff ask them if they can buy a carrot. Children reply, 'That is sixty pounds'. Staff put the carrot at the side of children's feet and ask them which is the biggest, their feet or the carrot. Children use large shapes to construct and build. They solve problems and show good imaginative skills when they think about how the pieces fit together to make a 'rocket'.
Children are independent and complete everyday tasks for themselves. For example, they show good personal hygiene routines when they wash their hands before they eat and when they dispose of tissues after they wipe their nose.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop staff's knowledge of how to build further on children's development during play n strengthen staff's understanding of how to help children who speak English as an additional language to understand English.
- 18 October 2021Good
- 10 May 2016Good
- 2 November 2011Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Joseph's Little Scholars
- 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.