Opening hours
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 08:00 - 18:00
Little Smarties in Cheltenham
Ofsted: Strong standard·
5.0(3 parent reviews)
·Two Cedars, Fairmount Road, Cheltenham, GL51 7AQ · Gloucestershire
Number of places
72 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Feb 2026
Local authority
Gloucestershire
About this day nursery
Little Smarties, a childcare setting for children aged 0-4 years in Cheltenham, has been providing exceptional care since its registration with Ofsted in 2005. The nursery operates from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Friday, all year round.
It proudly implements the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, ensuring a strong foundation for children's development. The setting is particularly adept at supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), offering individualised care, accessing external professional support, and even self-funding specialist therapies.
Leaders are dedicated advocates for all children, ensuring an inclusive environment where every child receives the tailored support they need to thrive. Little Smarties also places a significant emphasis on physical development and outdoor learning, with a large garden space offering exciting and challenging activities.
This commitment to holistic development, alongside strong parent partnerships and a focus on communication, ensures children are well-prepared for their transition to school and beyond.
What it's like
Children at this nursery are expertly supported by caring and committed staff who prioritise their emotional and physical wellbeing, benefiting from a nurturing environment. They engage enthusiastically in a curriculum that helps them practice and build on skills, developing strong friendships and excellent manners. Children achieve consistently well, becoming confident communicators with rich vocabularies who are well prepared for the next stage of their learning, including starting school.
Strong progressExcellent communicationPositive attitudesNurturing relationshipsThoughtful curriculumPhysical development priority
Key facts
Term time / All Year
All_year
Established
2005
Ofsted Inspection — new report card
Strong standard
Last inspected Feb 2026
Grade summary
Exceptional
—
Strong standard
Expected standard
—
Needs attention
—
Urgent improvement
—
Each dot represents one of the six inspection categories. Headline is the average of the six grades, rounded up.
Category grades
AchievementStrong standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesStrong standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingStrong standard
Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
InclusionStrong standard
Leadership and governanceStrong standard
Age range
0 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for Little Smarties
Last inspected 18 February 2026
What it's like to attend
Children at this nursery are expertly supported by caring and committed staff who prioritise their emotional and physical wellbeing, benefiting from a nurturing environment. They engage enthusiastically in a curriculum that helps them practice and build on skills, developing strong friendships and excellent manners. Children achieve consistently well, becoming confident communicators with rich vocabularies who are well prepared for the next stage of their learning, including starting school.
Inspector highlights
- Children make excellent progress across all areas of learning and demonstrate high levels of focus and enthusiasm.
- Children's communication and language achievement is a particular strength, with older children confidently creating detailed conversations and younger children learning new words and signs.
- Children behave very well and demonstrate consistently positive attitudes toward their learning in a harmonious and happy atmosphere.
- Relationships between practitioners and children are a significant strength, with secure, caring, and calm relationships fostering happy and settled children.
- Leaders embed a thoughtfully considered curriculum that supports children's ongoing development across all areas of learning.
- Physical development is a priority, with exciting outdoor activities planned for all ages.
Areas to develop
- 1Leaders should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of all children.
Inspection #10119178 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
The provision for inclusion is exceptionally strong and is supported by passionate leaders and staff who offer individualised, expert support. They effectively identify and address barriers to learning through a graduated approach, using their extensive knowledge to observe children and highlight developmental gaps. External professional support is accessed for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and additional funding is used strategically to foster progress. Leaders are dedicated advocates who self-fund specialist therapy, adapt the environment, and provide targeted one-to-one support. A specially designed sensory space is available for children who prefer sensory learning. Leaders attend multi-agency meetings and provide extensive family support, ensuring children receive the teaching and care they need to succeed and make optimal progress from their individual starting points.
Outdoor space
Physical health is prioritised through well-planned outdoor activities in a large garden space. Children recognise the effects of exercise, enthusiastically performing star jumps and noticing their warm breath. They enjoy physical challenges in the well-resourced garden, pushing each other on swings and negotiating climbing walls.
EAL / language support
High-quality teaching is expertly adapted for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff provide one-to-one support and use visual aids to ensure the curriculum is inclusive and accessible to every child, aiding early communication.
Parent Reviews of Little Smarties
5.0
(3)
Isobelle Hume
a month ago
It’s amazing there and the staff are your lovely, caring, friendly and kind
Read on Google
Osa
6 months ago
Jonathan Chopper
2 years ago
Reviews from Google for Little Smarties. See all on Google Maps
Inspection history
Date: March 2009
The most recent inspection point has been hidden because the parsed entry didn't match the headline Ofsted rating (Outstanding). We're re-checking it against the original report.
- May 2020Outstanding
- July 2014Outstanding
- March 2009Outstanding
Frequently asked about Little Smarties
Nearby day nurseries in Cheltenham
Other Ofsted-registered day nurseries close to Little Smarties.
-
0.5 miOfsted: Good
Dean Close Little Trees Day Nursery, Lansdown
Cheltenham · GL50 2LR
4.1(16 reviews) -
0.5 miOfsted: Good
Dean Close Little Trees Christchurch
Cheltenham · GL50 2NY
-
0.6 miOfsted: Good
Winton House Private Day Nursey
Cheltenham · GL51 3AU
4.5(8 reviews) -
0.7 miOfsted: Good
Rowanfield Children's Centre Nursery
Cheltenham · GL51 8HY
-
0.7 miOfsted: Good
Puddles Nursery
Cheltenham · GL51 7SU
-
0.7 miOfsted: Good
My Ohana Nursery Cheltenham
Cheltenham · GL51 7SJ
4.3(6 reviews)
Are you the owner of this nursery? Claim this listing to manage photos, hours and contact details.
Claim listingShare this nursery
Send to a partner, friend or family member.
This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more