Open 7.30am - 6.30pm
Open 51 weeks
Outdoor focused
Organic nursery
Nestled in the charming village of Poppleton, our nursery is a haven for outdoor exploration and learning in nature.
Each day, we welcome up to 60 children into our nurturing environment designed to feel like a second home. We prioritise natural, locally sourced, and organic products in our meals and skincare, ensuring everything is free from unnecessary additives – it’s part of the Little Green Rascals ethos.
Our toys and resources are carefully chosen, made from sustainable materials that reflect our commitment to eco-friendly practices. We also ensure that the electricity powering our nursery comes from ethical sources, reinforcing our dedication to sustainability.
Through a diverse range of inspiring and educational activities, we encourage children’s confidence, enhance their communication skills, and foster meaningful relationships. These experiences also play a key role in preparing them for the next stage of their learning journey, equipping them with the skills and confidence needed for a smooth transition to school.
All of this takes place within a nurturing and supportive environment, providing a strong foundation for their growth and development.
View Ofsted report
The Brighter Learning Approach (BLA) is unique to The Old Station Nursery group and is our advanced approach to the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and core pedagogy. It differs from traditional nursery teaching methods by providing real-life opportunities to enhance children’s natural curiosity, with emphasis on hands-on experiences, child-led learning, and whole development.
The six core areas promote active engagement and critical thinking whilst encouraging exploration, creativity, and collaboration. Each child learns at their own pace and is challenged and extended at appropriate times.
The best place to see the BLA in action is via our local nursery Facebook page, where each post explains which part of the curriculum the children are working on. Our parents also receive updates on the Parent App too.
Championing children's holistic health and laying the foundations for a happy, healthy and successful life.
Helping the future generation of global citizens to understand the world they live in and to believe they can make a difference.
Enabling early experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM). Nurturing our next generation of investigators, inventors and innovators.
Enticing children to develop a life-long love of books and reading through engaging and interactive storytelling experiences. Building strong literacy skills while sparking imagination and creativity.
Engaging children in meaningful mathematical learning. Developing knowledge, building skills and exploring concepts, through purposeful play and plenty of practice.
Developing confident communicators by engaging in quality conversations with children every day, in a language rich and communication friendly environment.
At Little Green Rascals Poppleton we have numerous extra clubs that enhance the Brighter Learning Approach, our bespoke version of the Early Years Statutory Framework. We also invite outside professionals to join us who provide additional sessions to our children.
At Little Green Rascals Poppleton, we embrace our Budding Chefs club to cultivate a passion for flavours, organic produce and fun messy play.
With the aid of a ‘cool touch’ oven, child-safe equipment and the children’s chef’s hats and aprons, children explore the joy of food preparation, picking up skills like measuring, counting, and following instructions.
Budding musicians can explore different instruments at our children’s nursery, as well as enjoying rhythmic games, and participating in interactive sing-along sessions.
They’ll discover the joy of creating melodies, understanding beats, and expressing themselves through music.
Each activity is carefully crafted to inspire a love for music and develop their auditory skills in a fun and engaging environment.
The local parks, rivers and wildlife around us at Poppleton enables our budding scientists to observe nature first-hand and learn from it.
The Children can learn the phases of metamorphosis and caring for animals through the life cycle of a frog as they witness frogspawn develop into tadpoles and frogs!
Mini Kixx at Poppleton nursery consists of a positive introduction to sport by teaching high quality football skills in a friendly, pressure-free environment with different classes tailored specifically to the needs of children between 18 months and 5 years of age.
With a focus on simplicity and enjoyment, the coaches at Mini Kixx use age-appropriate activities to help your child learn essential football skills such as kicking, dribbling, and basic coordination.
Baby Band is designed for our tiniest rockstars, offering a joyful introduction to the world of music. With a variety of baby-friendly instruments, fun songs, and interactive activities, the Baby Band nurtures a love for music while supporting early development.
Led by our talented instructors, each session is filled with rhythm, melody, and laughter, creating a vibrant and engaging atmosphere.
Tailored for our little linguists, this engaging program introduces children to the basics of French through fun activities, songs, and interactive games.
Our experienced and enthusiastic instructors create a playful and nurturing environment where kids can explore new words, sounds, and cultural traditions.
Specialist Yoga teachers joins us every week and supports our children’s well-being. They oxygenate their bodies with different breaths, explore their bodies’ capabilities through stretching and balancing, and promote mindfulness.
Our Budding Movers Club at Little Green Rascals Poppleton is fun personified. With musical instruments, sensory play, puppets, and dance, children embark on a journey of coordination, creativity, and confidence as they learn to express themselves in new and exciting ways.
With gardens on our doorstep with a herb garden and natural produce, it would be amiss not to have a Budding Gardeners Club where our young gardeners joyfully tend to organic vegetable patches.
They learn about plant growth stages and develop a sense of wonder for the natural world. Harvesting their own vegetables brings a sense of accomplishment and connection to the earth that lasts a lifetime.
Our Budding Scientists Club at Little Green Rascals Elvington sparks curiosity with hands-on experiments and exploration. Through activities like potion-making and space-themed adventures, young scientists develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a supportive environment. Parents love seeing their children excitedly share their discoveries and proudly showcase their scientific creations at home.
At our nursery, we celebrate messy play and make clean-up a breeze, creating a vibrant and cheerful atmosphere where budding artists can flourish.
With paints, natural materials, and recyclable items at their fingertips, children delve into creative expression in a colourful and eco-conscious environment.
These sessions inspire imaginative play and enhance fine motor skills, nurturing a passion for art exploration and environmental awareness.
Our nursery group is passionate about the link between home and nursery; the nursery experience is as much about the parent as it is for the child.
Our nursery commits to verbally updating you about your child’s day at pick-up time and via digital updates on the parent App.
We are here at any time should you wish to call us or want to discuss any area of your child’s care. We aim to look after our parents as well as our children so you can carry on with your day, work and career with a sense of peace.
First and foremost, you and we need to know that your child is safe. Before we can deliver the excellent curriculum that makes our nurseries so special, robust policies and procedures are followed to meet the exacting standards of Ofsted, building and fire regulations, food safety standards and staff DBS background checks and references.
Our staff are trained in numerous areas and we offer further training opportunities for staff who have an interest in a particular area. For example, some of our nurseries have attained Millie’s Mark, an accreditation gained by having 100% of staff on site trained in paediatric first aid.
At our nursery, we offer a three-week rotating menu that ensures variety and balance in every meal. We prepare breakfast, morning snacks, and afternoon snacks on site, ensuring freshness and quality.
We understand the importance of dietary preferences and needs, which is why we offer a separate vegetarian menu in collaboration with our caterers. Our goal is to meet all dietary requirements and provide a wholesome dining experience for every child.
Every child has a nursery key person who knows them best and who will be the child and parent’s main contact. Your key person at our nursery will update you about your child’s day and is there to answer your questions.
When your child moves to the next age group room, we hold several settling sessions with a new nursery key person.
We encourage our parents to view the new room too, and we will work with you to discuss the new routines, just like we did when you first started nursery.
It is wonderful to nurture and see our children graduate to primary school. Part of the unique offering at our nurseries is our focus on the next stage of your child’s learning journey. We prepare the children through school activities, teacher meet and greets and graduation ceremonies. Our commitment is to support our parents too by providing child learning journey updates, parents evenings or one-to-ones and home link learning kits to enhance the link between nursery and home.
When our children leave us in June, July, August and September the term before joining primary school, each family will receive a £30 Clarks voucher to help towards your child’s first pair of school shoes. It’s our way of saying thank you for being part of our nursery family.
All our nurseries follow the Brighter Learning Approach, our bespoke version of the Early Years Statutory Framework. Within this, each nursery chooses extra clubs, activities, and enhancements suitable for their space.
We offer flexible childcare with several session options as well as private, part-funded and some fully funded places for eligible families.
Contact us for the nursery fee that is correct for your individual circumstances.
Here our youngest babies spend their days learning and exploring with sensory activities. Developing good relationships is important at this age, and our staff are there to help you and your baby settle with us.
In this room our children are encouraged to further their speech, language and understanding skills. We encourage creativity and imaginative skills with daily messy play activities and focussed topics help to uncover a knowledge and understanding of the world around the children.
Our children aged 3 and above spend their days supported by an Early Years Teacher, where they are encouraged to develop into independent learners who are keen and ready for school, come the following September. Free-flow access at this age means we can spend all day long in our gardens!
“At our nursery, we believe every child deserves a nurturing and stimulating environment where they can grow, learn, and thrive. Our dedicated team is committed to providing the highest quality care and education, ensuring each child's unique needs are met with love and respect.”
Karen Meehan, Little Green Rascals Poppleton Manager
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Please note that this is not a confirmation of your tour. One of our nursery team will endeavour to get back to you ASAP to confirm your date and time. Thank you.
If you are looking to arrange a tour within the next 48 hours, we recommend calling the nursery directly.
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