Find out more about us...
Little Explorers Community Nursery Ltd is an established private day care setting located in Blacker Hill, Barnsley. We are a 60-place nursery, open Monday to Friday from 8am–6pm, 50 weeks of the year.
Based in the heart of our community, we provide high-quality care and education for children aged 0–5 years, including funded sessions for eligible children.
At Little Explorers, we are proud to have a dedicated team of experienced Early Years Educators, alongside our two owners, manager, deputy manager, experienced in-house chef, and highly skilled cleaners. Every member of our team is passionate about their role and committed to providing an outstanding experience for our children and families.
We are passionate about early years education and strongly value the partnerships we build with our families. We believe it is important for families to be part of their child’s Little Explorers journey, helping us to meet each child’s individual needs while working together to provide support, encouragement, and care for the whole family.
At Little Explorers Explorers Community Nursery
Little Steps Matter
At Little Explorers Community Nursery Ltd, we believe that little steps matter, as every small achievement helps build confidence, independence, and a lifelong love of learning.
Explore.Learn.Grow
At Little Explorers Community Nursery Ltd, we encourage every child to explore with curiosity, learn through play, and grow with confidence in a nurturing and inspiring environment.
Community-Focused
At Little Explorers Community Nursery Ltd, we are proud to be community-focused, building strong relationships with children, families, and the wider community to create a warm, supportive, and inclusive environment for everyone.
Our Rooms
At Little Explorers Community Nursery Ltd, we have three individual rooms designed to support children throughout every stage of their early years journey: Mini Explorers, Little Explorers, and Mighty Explorers.
We are proud to recruit passionate, caring, and committed staff, and we invest heavily in developing their knowledge, enhancing their skills, and supporting their professional growth. This has helped us create a strong and dedicated team who are passionate not only about Little Explorers as a workplace, but also about the children and families they care for every day.
Mini Explorers
Within our Mini Explorers room at Little Explorers Community Nursery Ltd, we provide high-quality care and learning opportunities for children aged 0–2 years.
We create a warm, home-from-home environment that reflects children’s home routines, helping our Mini Explorers feel comfortable, safe, and relaxed — because we believe this is where the very best learning takes place.
Our Mini Explorers room includes a dedicated play space, separate nappy changing area, cosy sleep room, and access to outdoor spaces, all carefully designed to support the children’s development, wellbeing, and early experiences.
Little Explorers
Within our Little Explorers room at Little Explorers Community Nursery Ltd, we provide high-quality care and learning opportunities for children aged 2–3 years.
We offer a wide range of open-ended resources that encourage children to explore, discover, and lead their own learning, with the support and guidance of our experienced Early Years Educators.
Our Little Explorers room includes a dedicated play space, separate toilet and nappy changing area, and access to outdoor spaces designed to inspire curiosity and development.
We are also proud to have our very own integrated resource room, known as the Rainbow Den, providing additional support and inclusive opportunities for our children and families. If you would like to find out more about our Rainbow Den, please click here.
Within our Mighty Explorers room at Little Explorers Community Nursery Ltd, we provide high-quality learning opportunities for children aged 3–5 years.
We offer a wide range of open-ended resources that encourage children to lead their own learning and discoveries, while challenging and extending their thinking through meaningful play and exploration.
Our experienced Early Years Educators support children in developing important life skills, confidence, and independence, helping them to flourish as they prepare for their transition to school.
The Mighty Explorers room includes a dedicated play space, creative studio space, separate toilet area, and exciting outdoor spaces that promote learning, creativity, and adventure every day.
Mighty Explorers
Our Kitchen & Restaurant by
We pride ourselves on our very own in-house chef, Dan, who prepares freshly cooked meals for your little ones on a three-week rolling menu. Our children rave about Dan’s food, and families are always asking for his secret recipes! We are a nut-free setting and carefully cater for each individual child’s dietary requirements.
We are also very lucky to have our dedicated lunchtime supervisor, Katie, who works alongside Dan to ensure our Little Explorers enjoy a happy, relaxed, and five-star lunchtime experience every day.
Our Restaurant
We have our very own dedicated dining space, designed to support both our Little and Mighty Explorers in developing important social skills, building relationships, and encouraging communication while enjoying the yummy food available to them.
Katie and our Early Years Educators gently support the children in developing their independence skills during mealtimes, while also encouraging them to follow simple routines and boundaries within our restaurant environment.
Our Community
Here to inspire and support others
At Little Explorers Community Nursery Ltd, we work closely with Barnsley’s Early Years consultants, quality improvement team, and a range of community agencies to ensure we continue to provide the very best environment and opportunities for our little learners.
We are also proud to work in partnership with Barnsley College and have our very own academy classroom. Our owners regularly attend sessions to inspire and support individuals who are looking to begin their journey into the wonderful world of early years — helping to inspire the next generation of educators for our future little learners.
Alongside this, we organise a variety of community events throughout the year, including SENDCO coffee mornings, summer festivals, and much more. Keep an eye on our social media pages to stay updated with our latest events and community activities.
What our parents say
"Thank you for giving Olivia the best start in education. You have given her the firm foundations of learning. Charateristics that all children need, to be kind, resilient and independent. Little Explorers has been her second home and she always spoke so fondly of you all. As new parents, we found it difficult to put our trust in people to look after her but we quickly realised how incredible you all are from the morning drops off check-ins to the detailed observations you provided. These things did not go unnoticed. Again, Thank you for looking after our first born with such care - it meant the world."
Emma & Simon
"Thank you so much for the kindness, love and respect you have show my little boy over the few years he has been with you. He has grown into such a polite and caring boy and this partly down to all of your staff. Thank you for everything you have taught him and all of the skills you have given him. When people stop and compliment me on my son they are also complimenting what you have taught him. Archie will always remember his time with you, thank you."
Lucy
"We want to say a HUGE THANK YOU for all the hard work, care and support you have given Phoebe over the last 3+ years. She has LOVED coming to nursery and we are so proud of the kind, confident and creative little girl she has become in your care. We will miss you all very much!"
Sally & Tom
