Little Faces Nursery, Hazel Grove

A large indoor activity space gives Little Faces Nursery, Hazel Grove a practical answer to wet-weather play: children can tackle bigger activities even when outdoor plans change. Alongside age-based rooms and an outdoor learning area, it creates a setting where movement has a place beyond the everyday room layout. At its March 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and praised the teaching of physical development, literacy and independence.

The nursery cares for children from 3 months to 5 years and has 106 places in total. Its home is on Newby Industrial Estate in Stockport. That whole-setting capacity should be read separately from the number of children sharing an individual room.

Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside flexible booking arrangements for shift workers and term-time attendance for school teachers. The practical appeal extends beyond a conventional working week.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room (Under 2’s) provides a bright, airy space for babies and toddlers to explore; Toddlers Room (2-3years) is self-contained and gives children more scope to choose their activities; Rising 3's encourages children to test their own ideas and work towards goals; Pre School Room (3-5 years) introduces more demanding making activities and materials as children develop their sense of identity.

These descriptions put increasing choice and challenge into the room progression. For younger children, exploration leads; for older children, there is greater emphasis on deciding what to make and how to approach it. The rooms have different purposes, rather than simply different age labels.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS framework shapes the day through play, exploration, interaction and opportunities for children to choose activities at their own pace. Continuous provision keeps equipment accessible, while key-group time complements activities children select independently. That balance gives children room to pursue an interest while also practising participation with others.

Learning Journey is the nursery's individual record of a child's development, bringing together assessments, photographs, artwork and memories in a book. It connects learning with examples parents can keep, rather than reducing development to a list of milestones.

In March 2023, imaginative astronaut play became a conversation about what children would need on a space adventure. Adults used questions to expand the children's ideas. Books also appeared across activities: babies explored textured pages, while older children chose places to read that included a tent and a bike. Reading was woven into play rather than confined to one seat or one part of the day.

Outdoor and Community Life

Unique Indoor Activity Area is a spacious, naturally lit area for larger activities in any weather. Its value is practical: movement and bigger play need not depend entirely on conditions outside. The outdoor area carries learning opportunities from the rooms into an open-air setting, extending where children can explore.

In March 2023, children worked together to mend a damaged book, using tape before returning it to the shelf. This small episode gives a concrete picture of shared responsibility: children took action to look after something they used together.

Relationships and Communication

In March 2023, children used colours and pictures to talk about their feelings with friends. The nursery's Golden Rules, its shared expectations for behaviour, were part of daily life, and adults supported children to work through disagreements calmly. These were practical ways of making feelings and relationships understandable to young children.

Daily electronic updates were used in March 2023 to keep parents informed about learning. Children also had relationships with key people. Alongside the current Learning Journey book, these inspection-time examples help families understand the different forms communication has taken here.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support highly effective, describing early identification of needs, joint planning with parents and outside agencies, adapted spaces, small-group teaching and frequent checks on sleeping children. Those findings concern that inspection date, including the way support was tailored to individual children.

The daily timetable places lunch before sleep or quiet rest. In March 2023, independence also featured at mealtimes: younger children handled cutlery, while older children served food and poured milk. Care routines doubled as opportunities to practise everyday skills.

Seasonal menus change on a four-week cycle, with fresh fruit and vegetables offered daily. Babies can begin with freshly prepared vegetable purées, add meat or fish when parents wish, and progress towards more textured versions of the main menu through discussion with staff.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Unit 14, Newby Industrial Estate, Newby Road, Stockport, SK7 5DA. Opening hours are 7am to 7pm on weekdays, throughout the year apart from public holidays.

Morning sessions run from 7am to 1pm, and afternoon sessions from 1pm to 7pm. Flexible booking days are intended for shift workers, NHS staff and local businesses, while school teachers can use term-time-only attendance. These arrangements serve different working patterns; the two timed sessions give a clear starting point for planning a regular booking.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early learning is offered for two-year-olds, and the Nursery Education Grant for three-year-olds includes a 15-hour funded offer. Childcare vouchers are also accepted. The attendance arrangements and the funded entitlement are separate considerations when planning care.

• Room progression. The nursery separates younger children, toddlers, Rising 3's and preschool provision. On a visit, ask how a move between rooms is planned around your child's development and relationships.
• Shift-based attendance. Flexible booking days specifically serve shift workers and NHS staff. Discuss how your rota would translate into bookings alongside the fixed morning and afternoon sessions.
• Funding and everyday charges. The two-year-old funding and three-year-old grant are relevant starting points. Request a current written quotation covering your entitlement, any additional hours, meals and non-food consumables.

Little Faces suits families seeking either a morning or an afternoon session, as well as those whose work calls for flexible days or teacher term-time attendance. Its clearest physical asset is the indoor activity space, supported by rooms that put increasing emphasis on choice and challenge.

The March 2023 Outstanding judgement gives the review a strong inspection foundation. The most useful details beneath it are everyday ones: children talking through feelings, using books in play, repairing resources and practising independence at meals. Families can weigh that dated picture alongside the current rooms and attendance options.