Happy Hours Private Day Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Workington for children from birth to 8+, open 07:45 to 17:30, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 1976, with 87 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Cumberland
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Cumberland from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
CA14 1NPWhat 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, 25 August 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at the nursery happy and ready to play. They benefit greatly from the trusting and supportive relationships with staff. The well-established team provides a caring environment where all children are listened to and respected.
Staff are excellent role models. Children show positive attitudes towards their learning. Babies squeal with delight as staff throw balls to them and blow bubbles in the air. Toddlers willingly share bicycles with their friends and then wait for their turn, excitedly jumping up and down. Children's behaviour is good.
Staff skilfully engage children in a range of activities. This helps them to make good progress from their starting points. For example, babies develop their physical strength as they learn to crawl and pull themselves up on low-level furniture.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to model language correctly and clearly for children, to help children to develop their vocabulary
- implement the outdoor curriculum effectively, to further enhance children's creativity and imagination and reflect what they learn indoors.
- 25 August 2022Good
- 7 October 2016Good
- 1 November 2012Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Happy Hours Private Day 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
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.