Thatto Heath Playdays

A community-centre setting with room to play, somewhere quiet to rest and outings beyond the nursery gives Thatto Heath Playdays a clear character. Based at Nutgrove Community Centre in St. Helens, it caters for children aged two to five. Two main rooms separate toddler and preschool experiences, alongside a sensory/sleep room and a large outdoor play area.

At its April 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Outstanding overall, finding carefully planned learning that responded to individual children. That judgement is a dated assessment; the current offer combines play-led activities, preparation for school and regular communication through Famly, an app carrying children's learning records and photographs.

Attendance follows the school calendar: the nursery operates for 38 weeks, with Short day, Core day and Extended day patterns. That makes its holiday arrangements an important part of the decision.

Rooms and Ages

The Toddler Room combines an open-plan layout with spaces for pretend play, books and small-world play, while singing, stories and messy activities give staff ways to develop children's interests. A separate sleep / relax room gives children who need a rest an alternative to the active play space. Rest has somewhere to happen.

In the Pre-School Room, defined activity areas support a more structured day, with cooking, creative work, technology, problem solving and early writing among the experiences. Preparation for school includes managing clothes and toileting, alongside phonics and writing a name. The practical skills matter as much as the learning activities: children are encouraged to do more for themselves before moving on.

Movement between the two rooms follows children's development rather than an expectation that everyone should progress in the same way. The arrangement gives younger children an environment organised around exploration and older children a day with more structure.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play across seven areas of development. It is the shared early-years foundation, rather than an extra programme unique to this nursery. Here, staff observe children's play and use what they learn to plan experiences around individual interests and development.

Sports sessions and French lessons add activities alongside that framework. They sit within the funded-place charge arrangements, which offer alternatives when parents choose not to make the voluntary contribution.

Examples from April 2022 make the learning approach tangible. Children used porridge oats while retelling Goldilocks and the Three Bears, explored dinosaur impressions in paint and made marks outdoors using brushes and water. These were different routes into storytelling, texture and early writing. Older children also used chopsticks to beat out musical rhythms, connecting listening with early literacy.

Children had a say in their surroundings, too. In April 2022, a preschool council met each term to discuss resources, outings and how the environment was organised. That gave children a practical opportunity to express preferences and take part in decisions affecting their day.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor play area extends learning beyond the main rooms, with opportunities to explore the natural world. Outings include the park, library and a local care home, bringing children into contact with places and people beyond their immediate group. The community-centre base fits that outward-looking offer.

A June 2022 visit from Acorn Farm brought animals into the nursery for children to learn about through direct contact. This was a past visit, rather than a recurring timetable promise, but it gives a concrete example of the visitors used to widen children's experiences.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is gradual. A parent stays during the first settling session, then leaves for short periods as the child becomes more confident. The All About Me booklet gathers information about routines, preferences and interests, giving staff something practical to work from rather than expecting a new child to fit an unfamiliar routine immediately.

A key person supports each child's learning and emotional needs and acts as the link with home. Families learn who that person will be after their child has settled and formed relationships with staff. This allows the relationship to develop before the role is confirmed.

Famly records observations and photographs in an individual learning journey, while developmental assessments are shared three times a year. Regular parent consultations and conversations at collection provide other opportunities to discuss progress.

Family involvement also includes reading with children and stay-and-play sessions. These give parents an active part in nursery life, alongside the formal conversations about development.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its April 2022 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding and strong preparation for children's next stage, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), with close support during transitions.

Current health arrangements include a health plan with the key person for children taking long-term medication, with plans reviewed using information from a GP or nurse. Medication given during the day requires a signed form setting out the medicine, reason, dosage and timing. These are concrete procedures for coordinating care between home and nursery.

School preparation continues through contact between nursery staff and the schools children will attend. That liaison sits alongside the independence practised in the Pre-School Room, helping the move involve both practical preparation and communication with the next setting.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Nutgrove Community Centre, 2 Govett Road, St. Helens WA9 5NH. Nursery opening hours are 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, during its 38-week term-time year.

The sessions and fees page sets out three day patterns: Short day runs from 8.45am to 2.45pm; Core day starts at 8am and finishes at 3.30pm; Extended day runs from 8am to 5pm. Additional patterns are Breakfast club, from 8am to 8.45am, and Twilight session, from 2.45pm to 5pm.

General enquiries can be made by telephone or email. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Full fees remain payable when a child misses attendance because of sickness or a family holiday, making planned absences relevant when comparing arrangements.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered during term time. The entitlements are 30 hours per week (Extended offer) for eligible working families with children aged nine months to four years, 15 hours per week (Universal offer) for families with children aged three to four, and Early Learning for 2 year olds for families receiving extra support. An entitlement's eligibility age does not change the nursery's own accepted age range.

Funded hours can be taken within the Short day, Core day and Extended day patterns. Funding covers the core education and childcare; breakfast, snacks, special activities and outings sit within a separate voluntary consumables contribution, with alternatives for families who do not contribute. Private childcare is also offered, and Tax free childcare and universal credits payments are accepted.

For lunch, families can send a healthy packed lunch or purchase one from the nursery; funded attendance also carries a separate snack contribution within the voluntary charge arrangements. Milk, water and snacks are provided, with children helping prepare snacks as part of their learning.

For full-day or afternoon sessions, families must bring their child's nappies, wipes and cream, plus spare clothes. These items are separate from the contribution covering food and activities. Keeping those categories apart makes the practical cost and packing arrangements easier to understand.

• Term-time fit. Attendance runs across 38 weeks. Families needing childcare during school holidays will need an arrangement that covers those periods alongside their nursery booking.
• Choosing the day. Short day finishes at 2.45pm, Core day at 3.30pm and Extended day at 5pm. Use the guided show-around to discuss which pattern and settling timetable fit your child and family routine.
• Funded extras. The consumables contribution is voluntary and alternatives are offered. Ask how the alternative arrangements work for French lessons, sports, snacks and outings within your chosen sessions.
• Preschool routines. Children in the preschool group wear a uniform, which can be purchased from the nursery office. Include that expectation, alongside independent dressing and toileting, when considering the move into the older room.

Thatto Heath Playdays suits families seeking term-time childcare with a choice between a school-length Short day and later Core day or Extended day attendance. Its appeal lies in the combination of separate play environments, gradual settling, community outings and practical preparation for school.

The April 2022 Outstanding judgement provides a strong dated assessment. The main practical considerations are holiday coverage and how funded extras fit the family's chosen arrangement.