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Little Willows Day Nursery

Ofsted: Expected standard·
4.6(28 parent reviews) ·Little Willows Day Nursery, Powlett Road, BATH, BA2 6QH · Bath and North East Somerset
Number of places
66 places
Age range
1–4 yrs
Last inspected
Mar 2026
Local authority
Bath and North East Somerset

About this day nursery

Little Willows Day Nursery, registered in 2010, is a childcare setting on non-domestic premises in Bath, catering to children aged 0-4 years. The nursery operates for 51 weeks of the year, from Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 6:30 pm.

With 17 childcare staff, including one holding a level 6 early years qualification, eight with level 3, and four with level 2, the nursery aims to provide a nurturing environment. Children happily separate from their parents and/or carers, forming strong attachments with familiar adults.

They enjoy nutritious meals prepared on-site, a feature parents appreciate. While young children engage keenly in activities led by enthusiastic staff and show interest in outdoor exploration, the provision requires improvement in consistently implementing the curriculum, particularly for older children's personal, social, and emotional development.

This can lead to children becoming disinterested and their behaviour deteriorating. The nursery offers funded early education places and has effective safeguarding arrangements in place, fostering an open and positive culture that prioritises children’s interests.

Our ethos

We take a child-led approach to children's' learning! We follow on from children's daily ideas and interests.

What it's like

Children are happy and confidently separate from their parents and/or carers, forming strong attachments with familiar adults. However, the provider does not ensure that all staff receive adequate training and support to implement the curriculum consistently, particularly for older children's personal, social, and emotional development. This can lead to children becoming disinterested and their behaviour deteriorating.

Strong attachmentsNutritious mealsOutdoor exploration

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — working parents (9 months–2 yrs)
Pricing on request

This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year, from 7.30am until 6.30pm.

Session types

Full Day, Morning Session, Afternoon Session, School Day, Nursery Breakfast Club, Late Club, Hourly Rate

Term time / All Year

All_year

Established

2010

Ofsted Inspection — new report card

Expected standard

Last inspected Mar 2026

Headline: Expected standard

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

AchievementExpected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesNeeds attention
Children's welfare and wellbeingExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
InclusionExpected standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Age range
1 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Little Willows Day Nursery

Last inspected 25 March 2026

Safeguarding effective

Actions the provider must take

  • Provide staff with guidance and support to deliver the curriculum to support children's learning and development, particularly their personal, social and emotional development.

What it's like to attend

Children are happy and confidently separate from their parents and/or carers, forming strong attachments with familiar adults. However, the provider does not ensure that all staff receive adequate training and support to implement the curriculum consistently, particularly for older children's personal, social, and emotional development. This can lead to children becoming disinterested and their behaviour deteriorating.

Inspector highlights

  • Children are happy and confidently separate from their parents and/or carers, forming strong attachments with familiar adults, who nurture them and respond to their needs.
  • Young children keenly engage in an activity led by an enthusiastic member of staff who knows their interests well.
  • All children enjoy nutritious meals freshly prepared on site, which parents feedback they appreciate.
  • There are good arrangements to ensure care needs are successfully met.
  • There are robust arrangements to ensure staff are suitable for their role.
  • The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
  • There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

Areas to develop

  • 1Help older children to gain the skills to moderate their behaviour and to solve problems independently.
  • 2Review the organisation of some activities to ensure all children are involved in their learning and receive high-quality interactions to develop their skills and understanding of how to keep themselves safe.
  • 3Develop further the arrangements for staff supervisions to support consistency in developing high-quality interactions.
  • 4Ensure that all staff receive adequate training and support to implement the curriculum consistently, particularly for older children's personal, social, and emotional development.
  • 5Improve the organisation of the environment and staff interactions to provide children with purposeful learning experiences.
  • 6Support children better in developing perseverance and a positive attitude to learning.
Inspection #10393412 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

Outdoor space

Children excitedly look for hidden animals in the garden. However, on occasion, the environment is not organised well enough and staff interactions are limited to provide children with purposeful learning experiences, which can lead to children becoming disinterested and using outdoor equipment inappropriately.

Parent Reviews of Little Willows Day Nursery

4.6
(28)
B Armitage
2 months ago

Our youngest son has been incredibly supported by this fantastic team since starting nursery. Their diligence during settling-in sessions and the care and support they’ve provided since full-time have been truly appreciated. A special thank you goes to Jean and Danni.

Read on Google
Amy Walker
8 years ago

Fantastic nursery! Our son has been attending for 2 years since he was a baby and he absolutely loves it, like a home from home. The staff are all lovely and our boy is very fond of them. They have played an integral role in his development in so many ways for which I am very grateful. My husband and I both work shifts and they are the only nursery which could accommodate for the long hours whilst being extremely flexible. We can't recommend Little Willows highly enough and look forward to enrolling our new baby boy next year.

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Nicky Roberts
8 years ago

An excellent nursery and team- both our children attended over the course of 5 years. The staff and management over that time were kind, welcoming and great at their jobs. My children learnt good manners, table behaviour, unfussy eating habits, how to write their first words, made great friends and so much more. They were also fantastic when my daughter needed First Aid after a seizure. We miss coming here, I recommend it highly xx

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Rachael Martins
8 years ago

We are coming to the end of 7 years of having at least 1 child at Little Willows, almost worth having another to not have to leave!! Both our children have thrived and been cared for fantastically, the staff are all amazing, they have known and loved our children almost as much as we do and the flexibility they have shown over our time with them has been very much appreciated. Can't recommend highly enough and we will be very sad on 31st August when our Little Willows relationship comes to an end.

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Millie Russell
8 years ago

Where to start, my son started little willows two years ago now and finishes soon, I'm heartbroken that this fantastic nursery isn't going to be in our life's for at least the next few years until my daughter can start. My son has had two experiences of an nursery setting and I can say this is the best nursery I think in Bath. My son has flourished loads since starting at little willows, such a lovely place! My son was fully supported with every milestone he has gone through from starting in nappies to getting ready to leave for school!! I know of two parents that have actually changed nurserys for their children to go to little willows on our recommendation that love this nursery also, All staff are incredible and ever so supportive! I am proud to have my son in such amazing nursery and so grateful to be part of little willows family!

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Little Willows Day Nursery. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: November 2010

The most recent inspection point has been hidden because the parsed entry didn't match the headline Ofsted rating (Requires improvement). We're re-checking it against the original report.

  • June 2025Requires improvement
  • April 2025Requires improvement
  • March 2023Good
  • February 2023Good
  • April 2018Good
  • March 2018Good
  • September 2014Good
  • August 2014Good
  • January 2011Good
  • November 2010Good

Frequently asked about Little Willows Day Nursery

About the setting

Little Willows Day Nursery registered in 2010. The nursery employs 17 members of childcare staff, with one holding a level 6 early years qualification, eight at level 3, and four at level 2. The nursery operates Monday to Friday for 51 weeks a year, from 7.30am to 6.30pm, and provides funded early education places.

URN
EY413022
Registered person
Little Willows Day Nursery Limited
Day care type
Full day care
Register
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register
Establishment type
Childcare on non-domestic premises
Previous rating
Good

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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