Best Start Daycare

Puppets, fruit printing and an animated reading of Barry the Fish with Fingers give Best Start Daycare’s June 2025 experience its character: learning built around children’s interests, with stories and practical exploration doing much of the work. At its 12 June 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found that children including those with SEND made good progress, and judged safeguarding effective.

Based in Eastham, Wirral, the nursery has capacity for 50 children and accepts ages from one to 60 months. The inspection’s main reservation concerned interruptions to activities when children were called away for other routines. That matters alongside the positive findings: a well-chosen activity needs time to develop.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children’s learning, development and care. Here, its June 2025 examples included storytelling, creative exploration and practising the skills needed for the next stage of learning.

Younger children explored printing with fruit and paint, while older children experimented with marks in sand. Puppets helped younger children take part in stories. These were different ways into learning, allowing children to participate through movement, materials and conversation.

Barry the Fish with Fingers provided another route into language. In June 2025, staff brought stories to life and encouraged children to discuss what might happen next. Reading involved conversation as well as listening.

Outdoor activity was part of each day at that time, with frequent outings to a local park and the surrounding community. Children acknowledged shopkeepers along the route and practised staying safe near roads. The outings connected physical activity with learning about their neighbourhood.

In June 2025, staff modelled sharing and turn-taking during play, helping children understand how to participate alongside others. Practical independence also featured: children practised handwashing before eating and accessed drinking water themselves.

Support involved families as well as staff. In June 2025, practitioners worked with parents and other professionals around children with SEND, assessed learning regularly and shared next steps with families. This gave parents concrete ways to continue learning at home.

Staff also received regular supervision and training at that time. These arrangements gave practitioners opportunities to discuss their work and develop their practice.

The address is 1155-1157 New Chester Road, Eastham, Wirral, CH62 0BY. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

In June 2025, children aged two and three could receive funded early education at the nursery. Families considering funded care should weigh the attendance arrangement and charge structure alongside the daily experience.

• Time to finish activities. In June 2025, children sometimes had to stop an activity early to join another routine. Protecting sustained play was the specific improvement requested, so the organisation of the day deserves attention.
• Funded attendance. In June 2025, funded provision covered children aged two and three. What attendance pattern and additional charges would apply to your child’s funded care?

Best Start Daycare suits families who value stories, practical creativity and learning connected to the surrounding community. Its June 2025 practice gave children several ways to participate, from puppets to mark-making, and involved parents in their next steps. The qualification is clear: routines sometimes cut learning short. Families choosing it should give the continuity of children’s play as much weight as the activities themselves.