Partou The Village Day Nursery & Pre-school

A natural meadow and individual room gardens give outdoor play real space at The Village. Inside, spacious playrooms provide another setting for activities shaped around children's interests. This Crooke Road nursery in Standish Lower Ground has 89 places in total and accepts babies from 3 months through the preschool years.

At its October 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall. The strongest practical attraction is the combination of room gardens and access to the meadow: children have outdoor environments to explore alongside indoor play. Full days, morning and afternoon sessions serve different family routines, with term-time attendance also offered.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, bringing together play, communication and physical development. Alongside that framework, Partou's group-wide child-led approach emphasises children's choices, curiosity and confidence. Activities here are tailored to individual needs rather than treated as a single programme for everyone.

In October 2022, pumpkin soup provided a practical language activity. Children contributed ideas about ingredients while staff introduced vocabulary connected with mixing, seeds, smells and texture. Cooking became a reason to talk and exchange ideas. Seasonal discussion also connected pumpkin picking with suitable outdoor clothing, linking children's experiences with what they were learning.

Books served different purposes in October 2022. Children discussed characters and anticipated story endings, while older children used books to find information. Borrowing books to share with family extended reading beyond the nursery. For babies and toddlers, What's in the Box? was a song they joined in with; dough gym and funky fingers activities gave children practice using their hands and coordinating movements for later writing.

Outdoor and Community Life

Each room has its own garden, with a large natural meadow providing further space for exploration. That gives families a concrete reason to consider The Village if outdoor experiences matter to them: outdoor provision includes both room-linked gardens and a broader natural environment.

In October 2022, babies practised crawling and walking, while older children climbed trees, balanced on wooden planks and rode bikes around a play road. These were different physical challenges for different stages of development. Children also worked out how to retrieve a toy caught in branches, turning an everyday problem into an opportunity to try ideas.

In October 2022, newly attending children approached familiar staff when they needed comfort. Children also comforted upset friends and encouraged one another during balancing activities. Those examples give a useful picture of relationships at that time: reassurance came from adults, while encouragement also came from other children.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, but identified inconsistent adaptation for children with speech or language difficulties, underuse of picture cards and insufficient sharing of effective practice between staff. These qualifications matter alongside the Good judgement, especially for families whose child communicates without speech or needs additional language support.

Support in October 2022 included collaboration with parents and other professionals, with additional funding used for sensory toys and play equipment. Information about safe sleep was available to families. Children practised everyday independence by serving food themselves and clearing their plates, giving them manageable responsibilities during the nursery day.

Current care fees include updates about children's experiences and development. Meals are prepared on the premises using a seasonal menu, so food preparation takes place within the nursery rather than being described simply as an external catering service.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Crooke Road, Standish Lower Ground, Wigan, WN6 8LR. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year except bank holidays. The nursery closes at 4pm on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, which makes those dates an exception to the usual working-day arrangements.

A full day 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 between the opening window and the full-day booking is useful: an 8am start is the standard full-day pattern, with the earlier period offered separately.

Term-time attendance and year-round childcare are both offered. The branch enquiry form handles questions about fees and other nursery matters, with the Family Care Team aiming to respond within one working day. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through Wigan Local Authority. Subject to eligibility, funding follows either a term-time arrangement, with 15 or 30 hours each week over 38 weeks, or a stretched arrangement across 52 weeks for year-round attendance. Funding covers a maximum of 10 hours per day. Under the stretched arrangement, the weekly funded allocation is 10.96 or 21.92 hours respectively. Those are different ways of spreading the entitlement, so the attendance pattern affects how much funded care falls within each week.

Care, food and daily care supplies are separate parts of the bill. Meals and snacks are charged separately, as are consumables including sun cream, nappies and wipes; both charges also apply during funded sessions. Funding applies to care rather than these additional categories. Families budgeting around funded hours therefore need to account for the food and consumables charges as well as any privately paid care.

Charges run across 52 weeks, including bank holidays. At registration, a non-refundable registration fee or a registration deposit applies, with eligibility conditions determining the deposit option. These terms affect the cost of holding a place and the annual payment pattern, even when the nursery is closed for a bank holiday.

• Communication support. The October 2022 findings included inconsistent use of picture cards and adaptation for children with language difficulties. At a visit, ask how staff now tailor communication support to your child's needs and share effective approaches between rooms.
• Your attendance pattern. Full days start at 8am, while the earlier opening period is a separate session. Discuss the combination of full days, mornings or afternoons that fits your routine, including any early drop off requirement.
• The whole bill. Food and consumables charges apply during funded sessions, and annual charging includes bank holidays. Request a written quotation showing your chosen attendance pattern, funded care and each additional charge.

The Village suits families choosing between full days and shorter morning or afternoon sessions, including those considering term-time attendance. Its room gardens, meadow and on-site food preparation give the offer practical substance. The October 2022 Good judgement provides a dated assessment of quality, with communication support and staff consistency the points deserving closest attention. For parents who value outdoor space and several attendance patterns, there is a clear basis for considering this nursery.