Sessional pre-school in Rainford, St Helens
Little Explorers: Rainford
United Reformed Church, Higher Lane, Rainford, St. Helens, WA11 8AL · Getting there
Is it good?
Read the Ofsted reportOfsted inspection, before November 2025
Good
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
What does this mean?
This grade is from before November 2025, when Ofsted replaced single grades with report cards. The nursery's next inspection will give a report card, with a separate grade for each area instead of one overall grade.
Official records
- Ofsted registrationRegistered since September 2019Reference 2544732Ofsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Inspections on record1 inspectionlatest 28 June 2022Ofsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Registered places54 placesthe most children it may care for at onceOfsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Food hygiene rating5 (Very good)inspected 19 June 2026Food Standards Agency · checked 13 November 2026
Fees
Fees, hours and ages: not published yet
Thanks. We count every request and show the nursery how many parents are asking.
Estimate a monthly cost with the council area's typical day rate
Hours and ages
Opening hours and ages: not published yet.
Getting there
United Reformed Church, Higher Lane, Rainford, St. Helens, WA11 8AL · More nurseries in WA11
Buses
11 bus stops within 400 m, including Higher Lane, Cross Pit Lane and Rainford Primary.
Parks and playgrounds
- Spinney/Linear Park2 min walk
- Playground5 min walk
- Playground8 min walk
NaPTAN, Department for Transport, checked 13 November 2026 · © OpenStreetMap contributors, checked 13 November 2026. Walking times are rough, from straight-line distance.
Places and next steps
Spaces: not published yet. Nurseries often fill months ahead, so ask early.
In St Helens there are about 3.1 children under 5 for every registered nursery place. Places are how many children nurseries may care for, not free spaces, so this is a guide to demand. Source: ONS Census 2021.
What parents say
Reviews on Toddly
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Write a reviewAbout Little Explorers: Rainford
Little Explorers: Rainford is a sessional pre-school at United Reformed Church, Higher Lane, Rainford, St. Helens, WA11 8AL, in Rainford, St Helens. It is registered for 54 children. Ofsted rated it Good at its inspection in June 2022, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025. It has a Google rating of 4.6 from 9 reviews (November 2026). It is run by Little Explorers Nurseries Ltd.
Run by Little Explorers Nurseries Ltd (company), which runs 4 nurseries.
Compare nurseries nearby
| Nursery | Ofsted | Full day from | Hours | Ages | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Explorers: RainfordThis nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | This nursery |
| Crank Nursery LimitedFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 1.7 miles |
| Bright Beginnings NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 2.6 miles |
| The Ducklings Day Nursery - SkelmersdaleFull-day nursery | Outstanding | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 2.8 miles |
| Planet Kids Day NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 2.9 miles |
| Heirs and Graces PDNFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 3.1 miles |
| Stepping Stones Day NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 3.1 miles |
A dash means the nursery hasn't published it yet. Distances are in a straight line.
Nearby areas
Schools nearby
- Rainford CofE Primary School Primaryages 4–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Goodinspected September 2023 under 0.1 miles
- Rainford Brook Lodge Community Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Goodinspected November 2022 0.3 miles
- Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Goodinspected April 2023 0.3 miles
- Rainford High School Secondaryages 11–18Ofsted: Report cardinspected January 2026 0.4 miles
Straight-line distances. Places depend on each school's admissions rules. From the Department for Education and Ofsted.
Questions parents ask
Got a question? Ask and get an answer straight away.
What is Little Explorers: Rainford's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Little Explorers: Rainford Good at its inspection on 28 June 2022, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.
How many children can Little Explorers: Rainford take?
Little Explorers: Rainford is registered with Ofsted for up to 54 children at any one time.
Who runs Little Explorers: Rainford?
Little Explorers: Rainford is run by Little Explorers Nurseries Ltd, which runs 4 nurseries.
What is the nearest station to Little Explorers: Rainford?
Rainford is the nearest station we know of, 1.0 miles away in a straight line.
How do I contact Little Explorers: Rainford?
You can call 01744 525057 and visit www.littleexplorers.co.uk.
Tools for parents in St Helens
- Childcare cost calculatorMonthly cost with funded hours
- Funded hours checkerWhich schemes you qualify for
- Funded hours start dateWhen your child's hours begin
- Tax-Free Childcare calculatorThe 20% top-up on your bill
- Visit checklist for this nurseryPrintable questions, pre-filled
- Cost of nursery in St HelensFees by age in St Helens
About this information
- Registration and inspections: Ofsted · 30 June 2026
- Rating and review themes: Google · 4 November 2026
- Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools · 4 November 2026
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Department for Education data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right; contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.
- Contains Department for Transport NaPTAN data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Food hygiene rating from the Food Standards Agency, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Source: Office for National Statistics, Census 2021, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Read reviews on Google
Last checked 4 November 2026 · Ofsted URN 2544732 · Plain-text version · Report a mistake
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