Beacon Nursery
Good★ 4.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in St. Helens for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 17:45, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in August 2022. Open since 2007, with 64 places.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
WA10 1TFWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 26 August 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy in this bright, spacious and well-organised nursery. As children and parents arrive, they are welcomed into the building by staff members that greet them enthusiastically. Staff take time to talk to parents and children so that they can share news about home life or important events, such as holidays. During the COVID-19 pandemic, only one parent was allowed to enter the setting at a time. However, this has not prevented staff from forming strong and friendly relationships with parents and carers.
Children are eager to join in the activities available to them and mix happily with their friends. Older children explore a spacious indoor play area in which they paint at the easel, read books or role play being doctors in their 'hospital'. Children practise their balancing skills along the indoor apparatus with the support of the attentive staff who allow them to take risks safely, or are there to help if needed.
Children are therefore developing confidence in their physical ability.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to sharply focus and organise activities to provide children with the highest level of learning opportunities and outcomes n enhance opportunities for children to learn the importance of health and hygiene routines in place at the nursery.
- 26 August 2022Good
- 26 October 2016Good
- 22 August 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Beacon Nursery
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
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