A nursery run by a family, for families
Little Learners has been part of Crofton life since 2009. We are still independent, still run by the same family, and still small enough that everyone knows your child's name — and yours.
Fifteen years of Crofton children
Nicola Butterfield opened Little Learners in 2009 with a simple idea: that a nursery should feel like a warm extension of home, not an institution. Children who feel safe and known are children who are ready to explore — and everything we do still starts there.
In 2022 we moved into the former St Joseph's church building on Santingley Lane and made it our own: bright, open rooms, a secure garden, and a proper kitchen so every lunch is cooked on site. Some of the children who started with us as babies are now at secondary school, and we still get to hear how they are getting on.
We are not part of a chain. There is no head office deciding your child's day. Decisions get made by the people who are actually in the room with your child.
At a glance
| Established | 2009 |
| Ofsted rating | Good, all areas |
| Last inspected | June 2024 |
| Ofsted URN | 2675781 |
| Registered places | 49 |
| Ages | Babies to school age |
| Open | 7am–6pm, all year |
Good in every single area
Ofsted looks at four things when they inspect an early years setting. We were rated Good in all four.
Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management
“Children arrive excited to greet their friends and play in this warm and welcoming environment.”
Ofsted inspection report, 13 June 2024 · read it in full
The people who will look after your child
Qualified, experienced, DBS-checked — and, just as importantly, warm. Many of our team have been with us for years, which means your child gets consistency, not a rotating cast of faces.
Properly qualified
Every member of our childcare team holds a recognised early years qualification, and at our last inspection nine of our thirteen childcare staff were qualified to level 3 or above.
Safeguarding first
Every member of staff is DBS-checked and trained in safeguarding and paediatric first aid, with refresher training kept firmly up to date.
Always learning
Our team have regular supervision and ongoing training — Ofsted noted that staff feel well supported, valued and enjoy working here.
Want to meet them? That is exactly what a visit is for. Arrange a look round and you can talk to the people who would actually be caring for your child.
Four things we will not compromise on
Children first, always
If something is right for the children but inconvenient for the adults, we do it anyway. That is the whole job.
Parents are partners
You know your child better than we ever will. We will ask, we will listen, and we will tell you honestly how the day went — good days and tricky ones.
Everyone belongs here
Whatever your child needs to thrive, we will work with you and with outside professionals to make it happen. Ofsted called us a friendly and inclusive nursery, and we intend to keep it that way.
Childhood is not a race
We will not push a child to move up a room, sit still or perform for a chart. We give them the time they need — that is how confidence gets built.
Light, space and a garden of our own
The old church has given us something most nurseries would love: height, light and genuinely big rooms. Each age group has its own space, set up so children can reach and choose things for themselves.
Outside there is a secure play area that we use in all weathers. Wellies and waterproofs live by the door, and puddles are considered a feature rather than a problem.
- Separate areas for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers
- Secure outdoor play area, used every day
- On-site kitchen — lunches cooked fresh, not delivered
- Free parking directly outside for drop-off and pick-up
- Secure entry with staffed door
Come and have a look round
Fifteen minutes in the building will tell you more than any website can. We would love to show you.