Kalgarth Grange Nursery School

A travelling bear, a vegetable patch and a toddler story sack give Kalgarth Grange Nursery School a recognisable character: books and practical exploration run through its day. Part of Evolution Childcare in Warrington, it combines separate rooms for successive stages of development with several garden spaces.

At its 10 June 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, with Outstanding behaviour and attitudes and personal development, and found safeguarding effective. The improvement priority concerned more precise feedback to help practitioners develop their teaching.

The nursery has capacity for 100 children, with a current age range of 2 to 60 months. Full-day, morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside early-start and late-finish options.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room has a stated capacity of 18 and caters approximately up to 12 months, with separate sections for babies who are mobile and those who are not, a milk kitchen and sensory play to suit their stage of development.

For children aged one to two, the Toddler Room has capacity for 24, dividing messy and creative activities from floor and tabletop play, with movement and physical development prominent in its planning.

The Early Learners Room serves children aged two to three, combining changing role play with accessible displays introducing shapes, letters, colours and numbers.

On the ground floor, the Reception Room caters for three- to four-year-olds, bringing together independent choices, picture-based storytelling and weekly P.E lessons that include practising dressing and undressing.

These are room capacities where given, rather than a promise about the number present on a particular day. The published Early Learners staffing pattern is one adult to four children, compared with the statutory minimum of one to five for two-year-olds. This gives two-year-olds more adult support; it does not establish group size.

Learning and Activities

Planning follows the early years foundation stage, the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, that means age-appropriate play, observations and next steps shaped around individual interests, rather than an identical task for every child.

Rufus Bear is the Early Learners' travelling bear. Children record their adventures with him in a diary shared at circle time, giving them something personal to recount to friends.

In February 2026, toddlers explored a Gruffalo story sack using character masks and props, retelling parts of the story and inventing versions of their own. In January 2025, babies explored stories using puppets, props and textured books.

During June 2022, younger children shared books closely with staff, while older children turned a story into pretend play. Children also served their own food and drinks, with visual reminders helping them tackle everyday tasks.

Outdoor and Community Life

Several garden areas extend the room-based provision. Toddlers use climbing frames and bikes, while Reception children build with ropes, tubes and planks. The vegetable patch gives composting a purpose: vegetable scraps become compost that can be used for growing. It connects an environmental idea with something children can see and do.

Reception children also visit the local library for story sessions, and Early Learners go into the community to visit the library and feed ducks at the park. In April 2026, Reception activities included mixing petals and herbs into flower potions, investigating soil and drawing flowers.

The garden supported close observation in June 2022 too. Children examined small creatures through magnifying glasses, showed them to others and understood that they needed to return them later. Outdoor play also included a large sand area.

Relationships and Communication

For babies, settling starts with a discussion of the routine they already follow at home. A key worker records development and provides a daily point of contact; the end-of-day account covers food, sleep, play and nappy changes. That level of detail helps a parent understand the whole day, especially before a child can explain it themselves.

Sleep and feeding have practical arrangements within the rooms. The Baby Room's milk kitchen supports preparation of feeds, and labelled bottles are kept refrigerated until needed. Toddlers rest after lunch using individually labelled beds and blankets.

Early Learners have development files and monthly observations, with information exchanged daily and at twice-yearly parents' evenings. Reception children also have a designated key worker and monthly observations. Their picture-based reading scheme includes a communication book, allowing parents to comment on learning at home and help practitioners choose relevant books.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In June 2022, family photographs and books introducing a child's next room helped with belonging and room changes. Younger children explored emotions through mirrors and books; older children talked about feelings and offered comfort to others.

Toilet learning in the Early Learners Room includes support for independence, and children are encouraged to brush their teeth after meals. The Early Years Co-Ordinator supports families and staff with learning and the move towards school. During June 2022, teachers were invited to meet children at the nursery, and staff shared information as children moved on.

Babies' food is cooked on the premises by the nursery chef, with puréed fruit and vegetables used before introducing meat and other foods.

Sessions and Attendance

Kalgarth Grange is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6.30pm, throughout the year except bank holidays. Its main full-day session runs from 8am to 6pm; mornings are 8am to 1pm and afternoons 1pm to 6pm. Early-start and late-finish periods cover 7.30am to 8am and 6pm to 6.30pm, with an extra hour also offered from 1pm to 2pm.

Funding can be used Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm. Funded full days cover that ten-hour window, while funded half days use either the morning or afternoon five-hour pattern. The distinction matters when matching funded attendance to working hours: the early and late periods are separately charged non-funded time.

Enquiries go directly to the nursery on 01925 816888 or by email at kalgarth@evolution-childcare.co.uk. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Getting There

The address is 447 Manchester Road, Paddington, Warrington, WA1 3TZ. On-site parking is provided, and Manchester Road connects towards both the M6 and Warrington town centre.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both 15-hour and 30-hour term-time entitlements are offered, with alternatives stretched across 52 weeks. The stretched arrangements provide 10.96 or 21.92 hours per week respectively. Additional purchased hours are charged at the standard session or day rate, separating funded attendance from private extensions.

Food is charged separately during funded sessions: the morning covers breakfast and lunch, the afternoon includes a snack and tea, and a full day includes breakfast, lunch, tea and snacks. Activities also carry a separate charge for half-day and full-day attendance; the fees and funding page sets out that structure.

The nursery describes itself as a feeder for state and independent schools in Paddington and Woolston. Attendance does not guarantee a school place: families apply through the local authority for state schools or through an independent school's own admissions process. Preparation for school and access to a school place are separate decisions.

• Baby-room scale and routines. The Baby Room's stated capacity is 18, with separate areas for different stages of mobility. At a visit, ask how your baby's sleep and feeding routine would work alongside that layout, and what you should provide for formula, nappies and wipes.
• Funded hours and the working day. Funding operates between 8am and 6pm, while early starts, late finishes, funded-session food and activities are separately charged. Compare a written quotation against the exact attendance pattern your family needs.
• Teaching feedback. In June 2022, the improvement priority was more targeted feedback for practitioners. Ask how that feedback now informs teaching in the room your child would join.

Kalgarth Grange suits families choosing between full days and morning or afternoon sessions, with extra time at either end of the main day. Its strongest practical details are the room-by-room routines, storytelling with Rufus Bear and parent involvement in reading, and outdoor experiences that include growing, building and community visits.

The June 2022 Good judgement provides a useful quality reference, while the teaching-feedback priority deserves attention. For parents of babies, the room capacity and daily care arrangements merit close consideration; for older children, the appeal lies in opportunities to practise independence through play and everyday tasks.