Nursery & Pre-School - S. Anselm's School

Nursery and Pre-School

Where curiosity begins, confidence grows and childhood shines.

Welcome to Little Puddings Nursery and Pre‑School – a vibrant, nurturing early‑years community for children from 3 months old, set in the heart of the beautiful Peak District.

Here, childhood is celebrated. Learning is joyful. And every child is known, cherished and encouraged to flourish.

Opening this spring, our brand‑new nursery brings together exceptional care, inspiring teaching and the warm, family‑centred ethos of S. Anselm’s – creating a place where young minds can explore, discover and thrive.

Designed for little learners

From babies to pre‑schoolers

Our journey begins at 3 months and continues right through to school readiness. Each age group enjoys thoughtfully designed rooms tailored to their developmental stage – calm, cosy spaces for our youngest children and vibrant, curiosity‑rich environments for our older learners.

Open 51 weeks a year, from 7.30am – 6.30pm

We’re here when families need us most, offering flexible, year‑round care that fits around busy lives.

We offer 15 and 30 hours of government‑funded childcare, and our team is on hand to guide you through every step.

Life at Little Puddings

Learning that sparks joy

At Little Puddings Nursery, we use the Birth to Five Matters guidance to create fun, age‑appropriate activities that support every child’s development. This helps us offer a broad and balanced early years curriculum tailored to each child.

We get to know children’s starting points through conversations with parents, pre‑visits, and settling sessions. Using this information, our team plans personalised next steps, ensuring every child receives the right support to grow, learn, and thrive.

Life at Little Puddings

Child‑led, teacher‑guided

We follow children’s interests and turn them into meaningful learning experiences. Whether they’re captivated by dinosaurs, cooking, outer space or the natural world, we build on their curiosity to inspire confidence and creativity.

Every child is supported by a dedicated Key Person who tailors care and learning to their individual needs. During settling‑in visits, children get to know the team, and if they form a natural bond with a practitioner, that staff member becomes their Key Person.

Life at Little Puddings

Time outdoors

Our outdoor spaces give children plenty of room to play, explore and learn. With a mud kitchen, sand pit, climbing equipment, bikes and scooters, there are lots of opportunities for imaginative play and physical development.

Children enjoy nature walks around the school grounds, and younger ones can join outings using our pushchairs. We also have our own woodland for Forest School, where children climb, build and discover the natural world – muddy, joyful and perfect for building confidence and resilience.

Life at Little Puddings

Building confidence, respect and community

Life at Little Puddings

Stay connected

Life at Little Puddings

Your child’s journey

Every child is welcomed into a warm, nurturing environment where they can learn, explore and grow at their own pace.

Each age group enjoys spaces and activities thoughtfully designed to support their development, build confidence and inspire curiosity.

Roly-Poly Puddings

Our baby room provides a true home‑from‑home for children aged 3 months to 2 years. With a maximum of six babies and a 1:3 ratio, little ones receive plenty of individual care.

The space includes a calm play area, a dedicated milk kitchen and a separate sleep room, allowing each baby to follow their own routine.

Babies enjoy time outdoors in our garden, as well as peaceful walks in pushchairs around our beautiful school grounds and surrounding countryside.

Mini Puddings

In our toddler space, children aged 2-3 begin to explore their independence. With a 1:5 ratio, we gently support confidence, social skills and early learning through play.

Children join in small‑group activities, circle time, songs and interactive experiences. Creative and sensory play is a big part of the day – including painting, sand, playdough and messy play – alongside regular outdoor adventures.

We continue to guide children through toilet training at their own pace, and offer rest time after lunch if needed.

Rising Puddings

From age 3, children join our Pre‑School, where we help them feel settled, confident and excited about learning.

They enjoy a varied programme including Forest School, gymnastics, music and plenty of hands‑on activities tailored to all areas of development.

Small‑group times help build communication, early literacy and positive friendships.

Outdoor play is woven throughout the day, encouraging physical development, exploration and a love of nature.

Useful information

Nursery Fees
Academic Year 2025/26

Ages	Full day 8am – 6pm	Half day 8am – 1pm / 1pm – 6pm
Ages 0 & 1	£70.00	£40.00
Aged 2	£65.00	£37.50
Ages 3 & 4	£60.00	£35.00

Fee information

Prices include VAT.
Food is charged daily: £10 per full day, £5 per half day.
Children attending five full days each week receive a 10% discount.
A £50 deposit is required to secure a place and is deducted from the first invoice. We invoice monthly in advance.
We accept tax‑free childcare.

Opening hours

Our core opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, offering full‑day, morning and afternoon sessions.

Additional wrap around sessions from 7.30am to 8.00am and 6pm to 6.30pm are available at an additional cost of £7.50 per session.

We operate for 51 weeks of the year, closing for one week between Christmas and New Year and on Bank Holidays.

Funding

We offer the government’s 15‑hour and 30‑hour funded childcare options across all the weeks we are open. When using stretched funding, this provides 10 or 20 hours per week respectively, with families able to apply for up to 10 hours per day.

Please note that a food charge of £10 for a full day, or £5 for a half day, still applies on funded sessions, as government funding does not cover the cost of meals. Government funded hours cannot be used for the wrap around service from 7.30am to 8am and 6pm to 6.30pm.

To apply for funding please complete this form.