Happy Days Nursery & Pre-School, Salisbury

Small actions carry much of the learning here: posting a ball through a hole, discussing an ambulance in a story, or making a card for a care-home resident. At its April 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated Happy Days Nursery & Pre-School, Salisbury Outstanding, finding effective safeguarding and an ambitious curriculum that built children's skills in a carefully planned sequence.

The purpose-built nursery on Rhodes Moorhouse Way has capacity for 81 children, with a current age range of 3 to 60 months. Its strongest appeal is the connection between everyday play, conversation and emotional development, illustrated by the practical activities seen in April 2025.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play and everyday interaction support communication, physical skills and growing independence. In April 2025, activities were adapted to children's existing abilities and the skills they were developing next. The emphasis was on a sequence of manageable challenges, rather than simply keeping children occupied.

Hand control provided a clear example. Babies practised getting balls through a small opening in a box; younger children made broad chalk marks, while older children added detail to drawings and practised holding tools. These experiences connected early coordination with later mark-making. A simple resource could serve a precise purpose.

Books also prompted active participation in April 2025. In the toddler room, conversations about stories included the work of people in the community and the role of ambulances in emergencies. Children discussed pictures, considered what might happen next and chose books to explore independently. Reading involved talking and thinking as well as listening.

Persistence was another part of the day. During April 2025, children working on puzzles stayed with difficult tasks and tried their own solutions, while staff acknowledged their effort. Predictable routines supported this concentration. For parents, the useful detail is the attention given to how children approach a challenge, alongside whether they complete it.

Outdoor and Community Life

Community learning had a practical expression in April 2025: children made cards for residents of a local care home. Conversations also explored differences between people, giving children opportunities to think about others' experiences. These were small, accessible ways to introduce belonging and consideration for people beyond the nursery.

At the April 2025 inspection, Ofsted found sensitive care for babies, strong relationships with families and targeted daily help for children whose development needed additional support. Staff shared ideas with parents so that support could continue at home, making communication useful beyond a general account of the day.

Songs, gestures and actions were part of babies' interactions with staff in April 2025. Adults responded warmly and used these shared moments to introduce vocabulary. For a family choosing baby care, this provides a concrete example of learning being woven into close interaction rather than reserved for a separate activity.

Emotions received deliberate attention too. In April 2025, older children made faces representing different moods and used them as a starting point for conversations about feelings. Staff explained the reasons for rules, alongside maintaining familiar routines. That combination gave children both language for their emotions and an understandable structure for their behaviour.

Parents received regular developmental updates in April 2025, and staff acted promptly when concerns emerged. The important distinction is between reporting an issue and responding to it: the daily support and suggestions for home connected the two.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year and closes on bank holidays, making its calendar relevant to families needing childcare beyond school terms.

Getting There

The address is Rhodes Moorhouse Way, Salisbury, SP4 6SA, in Longhedge. Branch enquiries can be made by telephone on 01722 510 009 or by email to salisbury@happydaysnurseries.com.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded places were offered in April 2025. Current prices should come in a written quotation, so families can assess the cost of their intended attendance pattern.

• Teaching intentions. In April 2025, the improvement point was to make the intended learning behind activities clearer and more consistent. On a visit, ask staff to explain what a current activity is helping children practise.
• Baby care in practice. Songs, gestures and warm interaction featured in April 2025. Use a visit to discuss how settling, sleep and care routines would work for your baby.
• Attendance and funded costs. The opening window runs from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, and funded places were offered in April 2025. Ask for a written proposal covering your booking pattern, funded hours, meals and consumables before comparing costs.

Happy Days Salisbury suits families seeking childcare across the year who value conversation, emotional learning and practical activities that build towards greater independence. The April 2025 Outstanding judgement gives that choice substantial weight, backed by examples from babies' coordination games to older children's drawing and discussions about feelings. The teaching improvement point is a useful subject for a visit: staff should be able to explain the learning behind the play.