Fairfield Private Day Nursery

A Georgian house, a separate cottage for babies and an acre of grounds give Fairfield Private Day Nursery a clear physical character. This Leigh setting combines space for younger children with outdoor areas that include grass, trees and surfaces designed for play. It has capacity for 84 children, with accepted ages running from 3 to 59 months.

At its August 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Fairfield Good and found safeguarding effective. That is a dated judgement, rather than a verdict on every aspect of today's provision. The practical appeal is broader than the building: morning and afternoon attendance sit alongside full days, while term-time attendance is an option from age two.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning and care: children develop skills through play, planned activities and everyday routines. Fairfield combines activities organised around themes with opportunities for children to choose their own play. Its morning and afternoon curriculum sessions are intended to give children attending either part of the day access to the activities. A shorter booking therefore has its own learning programme.

In August 2023, independence developed through small, practical steps: younger children practised feeding themselves, while older children learnt to handle metal cutlery. Babies explored cereal textures, bringing sensory discovery into an ordinary material. These examples make the learning approach tangible. They connect physical skills and curiosity with things children can try for themselves.

Sharing also became a problem to solve. In August 2023, children worked out how to divide whiteboards and pens between friends, with sand timers helping them take turns. The same visit identified a weakness: staff sometimes continued an activity after children had stopped engaging. Adapting activities sooner was an improvement priority, so the quality of the programme depended partly on how promptly adults responded to children's interests.

Outdoor and Community Life

Two enclosed outdoor play areas have gazebos for workshops across the seasons. Older children use an L-shaped area combining lawn and safety surfacing; the space for babies and younger children has soft surfacing. The separate baby cottage adds another physical distinction between provision for the youngest children and the main Georgian house.

Outdoor play includes building, climbing, painting, water and sand activities in different weather conditions. There is room for energetic play and quieter experimentation. However, in August 2023 the outdoor provision needed further development, especially for children who preferred learning outside. The grounds are an asset, but their size alone does not establish how effectively they are used.

In August 2023, flexible settling arrangements and a key-person system helped children build relationships with familiar adults. Staff used observations and assessments to follow development and shared that information with parents. Together, those arrangements linked settling with learning rather than treating them as separate stages.

At the August 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that SEND support was effective, with the special educational needs coordinator working with practitioners and other professionals to arrange timely help. That gives a concrete picture of support at the time: coordination and interventions, rather than a general promise that every need can be met.

Food also gives children practical responsibilities. Preschool children take turns each week preparing the dining arrangements, and self-serving encourages them to make choices and manage portions. These are useful everyday opportunities to participate in the running of the day.

A chef prepares fresh, home-cooked food, with meat-free meals on at least two days each week and daily alternatives for vegetarian or special diets. Both nurseries in the group hold the Wigan Healthy Business award, and menus sometimes connect food with celebrations, including Chinese foods for Chinese New Year. The award is a group-wide feature; the dining responsibilities give the more immediate picture of children's experience.

Sessions and Attendance

Fairfield is at 72 St Helens Road, Leigh, WN7 4HW. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Full-day attendance runs from 7am to 6pm; mornings run from 7am to 12.30pm and afternoons from 12.30pm to 6pm. There is no minimum number of sessions, but the booked session or day is charged in full even when a child attends for fewer hours.

All-year attendance covers 51 weeks, while term-time attendance covers 38 weeks and is for children aged two and over. Bank holidays are excluded. The nursery operates a waiting list with priority for siblings. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01942 684251.

Getting There

Parents have a car park behind the building, with a rear entrance ramp and pram storage. Those facilities make the practical arrangements for cars and pushchairs part of the setting's appeal.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes up to 30 weekly hours for eligible working parents with children over nine months, 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds, and 15 hours of additional support funding for eligible two-year-olds. All-year funding is stretched, averaging 22 hours a week for the 30-hour entitlement or 11 for the 15-hour entitlement. Term-time children use their allocation during term weeks, generally following the Wigan schools' calendar.

The all-year funded booking model offers four sessions for a 30-hour place, taken as two days or four mornings or afternoons; a 15-hour place offers two sessions, taken as one day or two mornings or afternoons. Extra attendance is paid for separately. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and funding page explains the attendance and charging structure.

Meal charges vary with the arrangement: all-year fees include meals, snacks and consumables such as nappies, wipes, cotton wool and creams, while additional support funding carries no meal charge whether attendance is term-time or all-year. Children using only 30 funded term-time hours pay separately for meals and snacks unless parents arrange packed food at the start of term, in writing or through the FAMLY App; regular additional paid term-time sessions also remove meal charges on funded days.

Fairfield publishes a nut-free policy and restricts foods brought from home for allergy and safety reasons. Contributions are normally requested for enrichment such as pantomime, farm or zoo visits, with concessions considered and a policy against excluding children solely because they cannot pay.

• Outdoor learning. Developing the outdoor offer was an August 2023 improvement priority. On a private visit, ask how the gazebos and younger children's play area are used now, including for children who prefer being outside.
• Responsive activities. In August 2023, adults sometimes needed to change activities sooner when interest faded. Ask for an example of how practitioners adjust a planned session to the children taking part.
• Term-time care. This pattern starts at age two, and meal arrangements depend on funding and additional paid attendance. Match the proposed booking to the written quotation; families managing allergies should confirm current food practice.

Fairfield suits families choosing between full days and morning or afternoon sessions, with term-time attendance adding another option from age two. The baby cottage, outdoor gazebos and practical dining responsibilities give it recognisable character. Its August 2023 Good judgement provides a useful benchmark, balanced by specific improvement priorities around responsive activities and outdoor learning. The strongest fit is for parents who value this combination of physical space, everyday independence and several attendance patterns.