Partou Storytimes Day Nursery & Pre-school

A storybook theme gives Storytimes its character, running through the indoor spaces rather than stopping at the nursery’s name. The Atherton setting won Indoor Learning Environment of the Year at the 2024 National NMT Nursery Awards. Cosy dens for babies and toddlers and a large outdoor play area give families concrete reasons to look beyond the award itself.

Partou Storytimes Day Nursery & Pre-school cares for children from birth to five at 68 Leigh Road, Atherton, Manchester, M46 0PA, with 108 places in total.

At its November 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, with Outstanding judgements for behaviour and attitudes and personal development. Those judgements belong to that visit. The practical offer includes morning, afternoon and full-day sessions, alongside term-time attendance and year-round care.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care: play gives children opportunities to practise communication, explore ideas and become more independent. Storytimes also uses Partou’s group-wide child-led approach, which gives children choices and emphasises curiosity and confidence. The storybook surroundings provide a recognisable setting for that approach.

Dedicated spaces serve different age groups, with toys and learning materials selected for children’s stage of development. For babies and toddlers, the cosy dens add smaller spaces within the nursery environment. Partou’s group-wide child-led approach emphasises confidence and curiosity.

In November 2021, pretend coffee-shop play became an opportunity to explore quantities. Children combined ingredients, counted scoops and experimented with making drinks and cake, while staff introduced mathematical vocabulary. It was learning through an activity children wanted to pursue, with adults extending the ideas rather than simply supplying instructions.

Books and imaginative language also featured in November 2021. Younger children guessed objects hidden in a box and practised naming them; older children stirred pretend potions with wooden spoons and explored unfamiliar words. These examples show how conversation, stories and hands-on play worked together at that time.

Children’s choices extended beyond selecting an activity. In November 2021, pre-school councils gave older children a way to share ideas about nursery life. Children also practised taking turns and listening to one another. For parents, this is a useful distinction: having a say involved both expressing a preference and hearing someone else’s.

Outdoor and Community Life

A large outdoor area supports play throughout the year, giving children space beyond the indoor storybook setting. Indoor and outdoor activities are included within the care element of the fees and are tailored to children’s needs, so the environment and the charging structure both recognise outdoor play as part of the nursery day.

In November 2021, older children practised recognising risks outside and during outings. They discussed why running could lead to a fall and why the outdoor gate needed to remain locked. Safety was being made understandable to children through familiar situations.

In November 2021, babies were cared for by familiar practitioners who understood their preferences, including favourite stories. Younger children practised pouring drinks and handling cutlery, while babies had close supervision as they tried feeding themselves. Everyday care offered opportunities to attempt manageable tasks for themselves.

Communication connects the nursery day with home. Current care fees include regular information about each child and their development. In November 2021, parents knew their child’s key person and understood the next learning steps staff were working towards, helping them continue that learning at home.

At the November 2021 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective, with staff understanding how to recognise and respond to concerns and keeping their knowledge updated through training and meetings. That is a dated safeguarding judgement, rather than a present-day guarantee.

There were also clear improvement priorities in November 2021. Managers needed to identify more precisely where the curriculum could be strengthened, and staff needed to give children learning English as an additional language better opportunities to speak and listen in both languages. For multilingual families, the second point is directly relevant to how a child’s home language is used alongside English.

Meals are prepared on the premises using a seasonal menu. This makes food part of the nursery’s daily provision rather than something families need to organise separately, although meals and snacks carry their own charge.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. A full-day booking runs from 8am to 6pm; morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm, and afternoon sessions from 1pm to 6pm. An early drop-off session covers 7.30am to 8am. The distinction matters: the standard full day starts later than the nursery’s opening time.

Year-round care and term-time places are offered. Bank holidays are closure days, Christmas Eve ends at 4pm, and the nursery closes between Christmas and New Year. Charges run across 51 weeks, including bank holidays, so a closure day does not necessarily mean a reduction in the bill.

The nursery takes enquiries by telephone on 01942 889720 and offers visit booking. Its address is 68 Leigh Road, Atherton, Manchester, M46 0PA.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through Wigan Local Authority. The attendance arrangements cover 15 or 30 funded hours a week over 38 term weeks, across a maximum of 10 funded hours a day; for year-round attendance, funding is stretched across 51 weeks, giving 11.17 or 22.35 funded hours each week. The weekly funded allocation therefore depends on the attendance arrangement, and eligibility still applies.

The fees separate childcare, food and daily care supplies. Meals, snacks and drinks are charged separately, as are consumables including nappies, wet wipes and sun cream; those charges also apply during funded sessions. Funding pays towards the care element. Families can see the structure on the nursery fees page and obtain current prices in a written quotation.

Joining involves either a non-refundable registration charge or a deposit to reserve the booking, with eligibility governed by the terms and conditions. These are alternatives, so the quotation should identify which applies to the family.

• Language support. The November 2021 improvement priority concerned opportunities to communicate in English and a child’s other language. Multilingual families should ask how home-language words, stories and conversation are incorporated now.
• Putting the environment to work. Storytimes combines its storybook theme with age-group spaces and cosy dens. On a visit, ask to see how children of your child’s age choose and use those spaces during an ordinary day.
• Funded hours and extras. Year-round funding is stretched, while food and consumables remain separately chargeable during funded sessions. Compare the written quotation with the precise morning, afternoon or full-day pattern you need.
• Closures and billing. Charges include bank holidays across the 51-week billing year, and Christmas Eve finishes early. Factor those arrangements into both the household budget and holiday childcare plans.

Storytimes suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day care, with term-time and year-round arrangements offering different ways to organise attendance. Its storybook interiors, cosy dens and outdoor space give it a clear character. The November 2021 judgement provides a positive but dated quality assessment; curriculum review and bilingual language support deserve attention alongside the environment. The financial decision is equally concrete: weigh the care booking together with separately charged food and consumables.