Heaton Preschool Nursery
Good★ 3.9 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Bolton for children from birth to 5, open 08:30 to 16:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2023. Open since 2016, with 26 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 Bolton
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Bolton 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
BL1 5EJWhat 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, 13 June 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children and their families are warmly welcomed into this nurturing and inclusive nursery. Staff remain mindful of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on some children's social and emotional development and their communication skills. To help address this, staff prioritise children's emotional well-being and ensure that the curriculum for communication and language is strong. Children are very happy here, and behaviour is good. Children's emotional well-being is central to everything the staff do, and children thrive on the positive relationships they develop. Children talk openly about events at home and nursery that are important to them. Staff know the children and their families well. They respond sensitively, helping children to understand and process challenging emotions, for example when loved ones go into hospital or the arrival of a new baby.
Children engage well in their play and learning, and they become confident, curious learners who are well prepared for school. Children are motivated to explore the appealing and accessible learning environment. They especially enjoy accessing the recently developed outdoor play space. This is well used to ensure that children who prefer to learn outdoors also benefit from rich learning experiences. Children purposefully investigate a wide range of natural materials as they play in the outdoor 'mud kitchen'. They enjoy filling and emptying containers with water before spontaneously using brushes to make marks on the ground and watching them disappear in the sunshine.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- extend the programme of professional development to raise staff's understanding and confidence in delivering a strong educational programme for mathematics n provide further opportunities for children to develop the muscles in their wrist, hand and fingers, to help them acquire the control and dexterity they need in preparation for eventual handwriting.
- 13 June 2023Good
- 21 September 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Heaton Preschool 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.