Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton

Houghton Road, Houghton le Spring DH5 9PG
Review Us
10 94 Reviews
  • Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton, Houghton le Spring
Refurbished in 2022, Little Pioneers Hetton has a comfortable and encouraging environment that's safe for the development of your child. Their experienced nursery practitioners provide personalised childcare in a play-based learning environment, developing your child's social skills through exciting, interactive activities.

Little Pioneers Hetton have a silver eco schools accredited, a programme which sees children lead the way in making a difference in the environment. They also have 5 Little Pioneers to help share their core values with their children such as encouraging them to be independent to expressing their feelings.

They have an app for parents and carers, ParentZone, which keeps them updated on how their little ones are getting on in nursery with photos of their day, assessments, meals eaten and even toilet training!

They are also big on happy children as they have growing areas for food (and eating it), regular visits to their local care home and focus on taking care of each other and the world.

At Little Pioneers Hetton, they believe play-based learning builds strong social and communication skills. Rest assured, every child at Hetton receives personalised attention from their reliable and experienced practitioners during the learning sessions.
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Funding & Fees

(0-2) Full day £68.50 / Half Day £39.00


(2-3) Full day £65.25/ Half Day £37.25


(3-5) Full day £58.75 / Half Day £33.50

Full day 7.30am-6.30pm
Half Day 7.30am-1pm/1pm-6.30pm


Government funding accepted

Contact Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton to get a personalised quote.

Contact Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton to get a personalised quote.

Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Korinne Armour (Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 37

Total Places for Children

  • 73

Age Range

  • from 0 years 0 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:30
    Tuesday 07:30-18:30
    Wednesday 07:30-18:30
    Thursday 07:30-18:30
    Friday 07:30-18:30

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays

Parking

  • Parking Available

Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton Reviews (94)

10

Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton has a Review Score of 10 (9.953) out of 10, based on 32 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton has 94 reviews.

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Date Published
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Reviewer Connection to Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton
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Review from J D (Mother of Child) published on 26 January 2026 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
All staff go above and beyond to make the environment feel warm, secure, loving and a wonderful place to be for all of the children to flourish in their development. My daughter has attended this nursery for a while now and makes the most of her time when there, she is always provided with outstanding
activities pushing her development to her full potential to always learn something new. She has also made some lovely friendships with her peers which, is always lovely to see as well as hear her talk about them and her day what she has done too with them. She has also made lovely strong relationships with the girls within her set room and feels comfortable and secure to approach them for help when she acquires this. Korrine the manager is lovely too she always goes above and beyond for the children, her staff and the parents too and always wants the nursery to be the best living up to its outstanding rating which it certainly does. Thank you so much everyone!
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Review from Hayleigh B (Mother of Child) published on 26 January 2026 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Outstanding nursery - I cannot speak highly enough of it. I am so incredibly grateful for the care and support my little girl has received. She has come on amazingly since starting here, both in confidence and development.


The staff are fantastic and always so approachable, which makes such a difference

as a parent. My little girl absolutely loves coming here, which says it all. She is currently in the Little Creators 1 room and the staff there are a real credit to the nursery. I recommend this nursery to everyone!
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Review from Sophie L (Mother of Child) published on 2 November 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We've had such a wonderful experience at Little Pioneers. The staff are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and my daughter has thrived under their care. A special thank you to all in Little Creators, especially Bev and Grace, who have looked after her so closely - their kindness and attention have
made all the difference.
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Review from Jenni M (Mother of Child) published on 19 October 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
All 3 of my children have been through this nursery (with 1 still there). I have zero bad words to say about them, the girls are incredible and so amazing at what they do. My youngest settled so quickly when she started, huge thanks to Amy for being so amazing with her! And my older 2 who have just
moved over to school, still absolutely love this place! It brings them so much joy to do the drop offs with me on the morning, to see all the amazing staff who still treat them like family. Shout out to Emily for being so awesome when they're shouting through the window to her, to get her attention! And to Korinne who still supplies them with sneaky sweet treats when they invade her office haha! And Steph too, who has had such a significant and massive impact on our family, something we could never thank her enough for! All of the girls who work here (not just those I've mentioned), are nothing short of amazing, and we'd recommend this nursery to everyone!
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Review from Kev M (Father of Child) published on 7 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic nursery. My son loves his days in and that's mostly down to the amazing staff who have brought him on so much since he started attending. We look forward to getting the updates whenever he's there because he's always having such a good time.
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Review from Scarlett H (Mother of Child) published on 7 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fabulous nursery, my son loves it! Staff are very friendly and always provide updates on your child's day both verbally and on the App. Good variety of meals on the menu. I would recommend this nursery.
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Review from A S (Mother of Child) published on 7 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Staff are friendly and approachable and do their best for the children within the nursery offering a range of experiences and learning opportunities. Kept up to date with development and learning adapted for children's interest.
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Review from H L (Mother of Child) published on 7 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My twins attend this nursery & they've came on so much since they started. The staff are so patient and caring with them and ensure they always feel comfortable. They always have such fantastic activities for them to do & also have a great outdoor space. The nursery is clean & the management are so
helpful.
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Review from Emma W (Mother of Child) published on 7 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
All the colleagues go above and beyond and offer an amazing provision. My little girl loves attending here and has made lots of lovely friendships. She has made wonderful bonds with the colleagues in her room.
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Review from Susan H (Grandmother of Child) published on 7 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My grandchildren started this nursery in June and October of 2024. They've come on tremendously since joining. The staff are amazing and I can see how much my grandchildren love coming here. They've both made friends with both children and staff. It's definitely one of the best decisions my daughter
and son in law have made - sending the children here. Highly recommend!
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Review from Michelle R (Grandmother of Child) published on 7 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our grandson has complex needs and they go the extra mile for him can honestly say in the past year they've realy brought him on you can see the changes in him they're so friendly and keep you informed in everything they do with him well done great place
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Review from S B (Mother of Child) published on 2 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We've had my daughter in this nursery from the age of 1 and she will be here until she is 4. From day one we were reassured that our daughter was well looked after and having fun with constant updates on the app. She has absolutely thrived and developed so much in the 3 years she has been here. We could
not recommend the this nursery enough.
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Review from Danielle A (Mother of Child) published on 2 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both of our children have attended the Little Pioneers in Hetton, our little boy since June and then our little girl since September/October and it's the best decision we've ever made for our children. They've come on so much since they started, our little boy comes out with words he can only have learnt
at nursery and our little girl is a bubbly, talkative little girl. They've helped to encourage our children to try new things (including food, our son is fussy with food yet he's trying everything here!) and supported them giving them all the tools they could need to help them progress. I can't recommend this nursery enough. We looked at a childminder and opted for here instead and wow; we are so glad we did!! The staff are amazing and you couldn't ask for better staff, the whole nursery team are fantastic! Thank you Hetton Little Pioneers.
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Review from Jade D (Mother of Child) published on 2 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has attended this nursery since she was 9 months old and I wouldn't have her anywhere else! It's a fantastic nursery and my daughter has developed amazingly in this environment. The staff are amazing at recognising a child's strengths and where they aren't so comfortable/confident. The staff
work with them to develop those areas where they are less confident and work at their pace and comfort level. What a brilliant nursery!
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Review from L S (Mother of Child) published on 2 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Friendly staff and very stimulating environment. The app is great for daily updates. My little boy settled here straight away and made bonds with the staff very quickly after starting this nursery.
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Review from A C (Mother of Child) published on 2 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Wonderful nursery, compared to other nurseries we viewed this one seemed the most welcoming and engaging for little ones and were so glad we sent our son here as he absolutely loves it! Staff are so friendly and accommodating too!
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Review from S A (Mother of Child) published on 29 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has come on leaps and bounds since attending here. Staff are so attentive and supportive with the additional needs she requires. My child absolutely loves attending and has a special bond with the majority of staff.
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Review from Frankie M (Mother of Child) published on 25 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are so grateful to the warm & helpful staff who gave our daughter a wonderful start to her nursery journey. She is always doing something new & exciting when she is there.
The menu is great and has really broadened her palette!
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Review from J P (Mother of Child) published on 25 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child has been attending the nursery for 15 months now. The staff are amazing and supportive towards my child and myself. My child has come on leaps and bounds whilst at the nursery and I can't wait to see how much more she learns throughout her time there. Additionally, the staff have been incredibly
accommodating when it has come to needing to change days and times of sessions. They have also been great with allergies.
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Review from Caitlin I (Mother of Child) published on 25 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both of my children currently attend this nursery. The staff are amazing they are all brilliant at their jobs so attentive and caring towards the children, the nursery has really helped with the development of the children through their monthly observations and next steps. They give frequent updates
and help me feel at ease when leaving the children for the days they attend. Couldn't recommend this nursery enough!
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Current Review Score: 10.0 (9.953)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 10 (9.953) out of 10 for Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 32 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 32 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.953 for Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton is calculated as follows: ( (368 Excellents x 5) + (12 Goods x 4) + (3 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 383 Ratings = 4.953
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton is based on 32 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 20 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews, 0.05 Points for the next five Positive Reviews, and finally 0.025 Points for the next ten Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.050, 7th = 0.050, 8th = 0.050, 9th = 0.050, 10th = 0.050, 11th = 0.025, 12th = 0.025, 13th = 0.025, 14th = 0.025, 15th = 0.025, 16th = 0.025, 17th = 0.025, 18th = 0.025, 19th = 0.025, 20th = 0.025) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 = 4
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 73 number of registered child places is 14.6, which has been reached with 32 Positive reviews. Points = 1
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (11)

Meet the Team (2)

Korinne

Korinne Armour

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2021

Hello, and welcome to Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-School Hetton.

Emma

Emma

Job Title: Deputy Manager Joined: 2019

Hello, and welcome to Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-School Hetton.

Frequently Asked Questions about Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton

What is the Age Range of Children that Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton accepts?

Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton accepts Children aged from 0 years 0 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton Open?

Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton is open: Monday 07:30-18:30, Tuesday 07:30-18:30, Wednesday 07:30-18:30, Thursday 07:30-18:30, Friday 07:30-18:30.

How many Children does Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton have capacity for?

Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton has capacity for a total of 73 Children.

How far is Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton to the centre of Houghton le Spring?

1.6 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-school, Hetton has an Enhanced Service - more info.