Smallworld Day Nursery Sandiway

Beans picked outdoors and turned into mud-kitchen recipes give Smallworld Day Nursery Sandiway a recognisable character. In September 2023, toddlers combined growing and pretend cooking, while older children followed clues to find a new goldfish. These were practical invitations to explore, rather than activities built around sitting and listening.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 8 September 2023 and found that children made good progress through activities planned around their next steps. That dated judgement is the starting point for assessing its education, alongside the concrete examples of language, movement and independence below.

The setting is based at Sandiway Primary School on Weaverham Road, Northwich. Its preschool groups include Sun Beams and Mini Moons, with Shooting Stars providing preparation for children approaching Reception. Afternoon preschool sessions and a Tuesday morning school-preparation session give families different attendance patterns to consider.

Rooms and Ages

Sun Beams serves children aged two to three, and Mini Moons serves those aged three to four. Shooting Stars is for children preparing to start Reception, with basic school-readiness skills developed through input from the Reception teacher and visits to the primary school on site.

These names describe stages with different purposes. Sun Beams provides an afternoon preschool pattern, while Shooting Stars concentrates on the next educational step. For families comparing attendance options, the age group and the purpose of the session matter as much as its clock times.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides learning through play, with experiences adapted to children's strengths and the skills they need help to develop. It is the shared early-years framework, rather than an extra programme unique to Smallworld.

In September 2023, stories were participatory: children added animal puppets to a model train as the narrative developed, and babies joined in animal sounds and familiar phrases. Singing also threaded through the day. These examples show how listening and speaking could be practised through action, with babies joining repeated phrases and animal sounds.

Independence had equally concrete forms that September. Babies fetched cushions for stories, toddlers tried pouring drinks, and older children dealt with their coats, shoes and personal hygiene. The emphasis was on attempting manageable tasks themselves. That gives parents useful examples of the everyday skills being practised alongside organised activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

In September 2023, the outdoor provision included a mud kitchen and a track used for balance bicycles and ride-on toys. Toddlers experimented with pipettes and water, while children watered plants with their own jugs. Movement and close observation both had a place outdoors: riding and climbing sat alongside handling small tools and caring for plants.

Community experiences extended the learning beyond the nursery. That September, a dental nurse had helped children practise toothbrushing, and a community police officer had introduced crossing roads safely. Local walks and a zoo visit also featured. These examples brought health, safety and the wider world into experiences children could understand; they should be read as the activity picture at that time.

In September 2023, staff knew the developmental stage of their key children and used that knowledge when planning activities. Families received updates about what children had done and ideas for continuing learning at home, while settling arrangements could be adapted. The connection between home and nursery was practical: parents could understand the day's experiences and build on them.

At its September 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support effective, including tailored support plans, professional advice and referrals when needed. Those findings give a dated assessment of both protection and individual support, rather than a general promise that every child's needs will be met in the same way.

That September, staff discussed safeguarding regularly, understood how to raise welfare concerns and checked indoor and outdoor areas for hazards. These were concrete working arrangements behind the safeguarding judgement. Children also encountered safety teaching themselves, including road crossing and wearing a hat in sunny weather.

Digital safety was the weakness in this otherwise practical picture. In September 2023, children were not being taught how to stay safe with internet use and digital technology. Extending safety learning to that subject was the required improvement. It matters because the examples of road and sun safety did not cover the whole safety curriculum.

Sessions and Attendance

Sun Beams runs from 12.15pm to 2.45pm, Monday to Friday. Shooting Stars meets on Tuesday mornings from 9am to 11.30am, with its school-preparation cycle running from September to July. Visits to the primary school on site begin from April within that cycle.

Breakfast Club runs from 7.45am to 9am, Afterschool Club from 3pm to 6pm, and Holiday Care from 8am to 6pm. These are separate attendance options, rather than a single nursery session with interchangeable hours. The nursery's opening window is 7.45am to 6pm on weekdays, with year-round operation except bank holidays and Christmas.

Getting There

The address is Sandiway Primary School, Weaverham Road, Northwich, CW8 2ND. The Sandiway contact number is 01606 882821, and enquiries can also go to sandiway@smallworldpreschool.co.uk.

Sharing the school site makes Shooting Stars' transition visits a concrete part of preparation. Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered as 15/30 hours for eligible children aged two, three and four. The booking terms give priority to children using their funded allocation at Smallworld; sessions are charged when funding is used elsewhere, and additional hours beyond the allocation are also charged. Current prices should come in a written quotation from the nursery.

Preschool children can bring a packed lunch from home or have a hot lunch ordered weekly. Families can choose the lunch arrangement that fits their child's day.

• Digital safety. The September 2023 improvement concerned teaching safe internet and digital-technology use. Ask how preschool activities now teach safe internet and digital-technology use.
• Age-linked attendance. Sun Beams has an afternoon pattern, while Shooting Stars meets on Tuesday mornings for school preparation. At a visit, discuss how the relevant group fits your child's stage and your working day.
• Funded bookings. Priority goes to children using their funded allocation here, and extra attendance is charged. Before committing, request a written quotation explaining meals and non-food consumables for your proposed funded and paid hours.
• School transition. Shooting Stars includes visits to the primary school on site, but nursery attendance does not secure admission. Keep the Reception application separate from the childcare booking.

Smallworld Sandiway suits families seeking afternoon preschool attendance or a morning school-preparation session, with breakfast, afterschool and holiday options also part of its offer. The September 2023 picture gives substance to its play-based education: puppets, planting, riding and small acts of independence all had clear roles in children's learning.

The school-site transition work adds practical value for children approaching Reception. The decision should turn on the right age-linked attendance pattern, a clear written charging arrangement and how digital safety teaching has developed since September 2023.