Happy Feet Day Nursery

A dedicated Sunflower Suite gives Happy Feet Day Nursery a recognisable emphasis: weekly SEND support sessions have their own space, alongside rooms that take children from babyhood towards school. At Clowes House in Salford, the setting combines that practical support with an emphasis on play, nature and children's independence.

At its November 2021 inspection, Ofsted graded the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. That is a dated judgement, rather than a description of today's practice. The current nursery has 44 places in total and accepts children from two months old.

Four stages organise the nursery day: Baby room, Tweenies room, Toddler room and Preschool unit. Their physical arrangement matters as much as their age labels: the youngest children are upstairs, while toddlers have straightforward access to the garden downstairs.

Rooms and Ages

Baby room (0-18m) occupies the first floor and emphasises warmth and affectionate care; the nursery's overall starting age is two months, so the room label should be read alongside that entry age. Tweenies room (18m-2y), also upstairs, emphasises movement, communication and social development through play and activities. These are successive stages for younger children, rather than a single room spanning babyhood and toddlerhood.

Toddler room (2-3yrs) sits downstairs beside the office, with easy access to the garden, and combines growing friendships with the two-year progress check. Preschool unit (3-5yrs) emphasises independence and preparation for school, allowing children increasing responsibility as they approach their next stage. The rooms and learning page sets out these different emphases.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for learning and development: here, that means play, communication, physical development and growing independence, alongside progress checks. It is the foundation for the nursery day. Happy Feet's stated emphasis on play and nature gives families a clearer sense of its priorities than a curriculum label alone.

In November 2021, children explored early mathematics while making dough, weighing ingredients and comparing quantities. Adults allowed them to experiment and try again after mistakes. The practical value was in the activity itself: handling materials gave children something concrete to measure, discuss and change.

Language also ran through the day in November 2021, with songs and stories supporting conversation. There was an important improvement point, however: some staff occasionally pronounced words inaccurately, and more consistent modelling was needed. Families weighing communication support should give that detail proper attention alongside the positive learning examples.

Outdoor and Community Life

In November 2021, outdoor activity included a climbing frame, a slide, scooters and tricycles. Children also helped with rabbits and grew herbs. These examples put movement and care for living things alongside indoor learning, rather than treating outdoor time solely as a break between activities.

The current Toddler room's garden access makes the outdoor arrangement especially relevant to families with children in that age group. Its position downstairs is a concrete feature to weigh against the first-floor accommodation for babies and Tweenies.

Relationships and Communication

In November 2021, staff and families coordinated their responses to children's behaviour, while yoga, meditation and mindfulness gave children opportunities to practise calming themselves. Everyday responsibilities included helping with dishes and serving lunch to friends. Independence extended beyond learning activities into ordinary routines.

Current school preparation has a designated transition leader. Support includes information about local school open days and applications, with literacy and mathematics groups for preschool children. That gives parents practical help with the next stage and children opportunities to practise relevant skills; it does not establish an admissions advantage.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Sunflower Suite hosts weekly SEND support sessions. The nursery's Graduated Approach uses a repeated cycle of planning, observation, action and review, giving its SENDco a way to adjust support rather than treating an initial plan as fixed. Individual education plans also form part of the manager's SEND role.

At the November 2021 inspection, Ofsted found that staff obtained professional help promptly for children with SEND and worked with families and local-authority services to arrange additional support. Home languages were incorporated into interactions at that time. These findings describe how support worked during that visit; the current Suite and planning arrangements are the practical mechanisms families can discuss now.

Sessions and Attendance

Happy Feet's address is Clowes House, 319 Bury New Road, Salford, M7 2YN. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round operation and closures for bank holidays and Christmas. The nursery can be contacted by telephone on 0161 312 4821 or through its contact form.

Holiday Club serves children aged 5-11, with a 9am to 3pm day and additional paid hours within the nursery's opening window. Eligible families can book HAF places through EEQU. This is a separate offer for older children, rather than a nursery room or a preschool attendance pattern.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery describes its fee arrangement as all-inclusive, covering what a child needs during their nursery day. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the prices page introduces that charging arrangement.

In November 2021, funded early education was provided for children aged two, three and four. That dates the participation information precisely and should not be read as a statement of today's entitlement terms.

• Upstairs care for younger children. Baby room and Tweenies room occupy the first floor, while toddlers are downstairs beside the garden. On a visit, ask how movement between floors and outdoor time work for the youngest children.
• Language modelling. In November 2021, inconsistent pronunciation by some staff was the improvement point. Ask how practitioners now model speech and support children developing their communication.
• Targeted SEND sessions. Sunflower Suite has weekly support sessions and a repeated planning-and-review cycle. Discuss how an individual child's targets carry into their everyday room activities.
• Attendance and funding. The nursery opens across the year, and Holiday Club has its own daytime pattern. Request a written quotation showing the nursery booking pattern, any funded hours, and how meals and non-food consumables are treated.

Happy Feet suits families seeking care from babyhood through preschool who value play, growing independence and a defined mechanism for SEND support. Room progression, the Sunflower Suite and practical school-transition help give the offer substance. For families with older children, Holiday Club adds a separate option.

The November 2021 Good judgement is useful context, with language modelling the improvement point to explore. The strongest decision rests on matching the child's stage and support needs to the current room arrangements, then agreeing an attendance and charging pattern in writing.