Palacefields Daycare Centre
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Runcorn for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2024. Open since 1998, with 30 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 Halton
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Halton 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
WA7 2QWWhat 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, 6 February 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff create a calm, friendly and nurturing environment for children. As a result, children are happy and thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery. They arrive excited to spend time with their peers and staff. Staff create strong bonds with children. They stay close to children and provide lots of cuddles and reassurance, which helps them to feel safe and secure.
Children behave well. They are kind and caring to their friends. For example, preschool children give aprons to their peers before they begin playing in the water tray. Staff are positive role models and have high expectations of all children. They teach children to take turns and share the resources. Toddlers wait patiently for their turn to choose a nursery rhyme puppet out of the bag, during their singing activity.
Staff teach children about different emotions as they read books. For example, they talk to toddlers about how characters may be feeling. Pre-school children use emotion bags to discuss how different activities make them feel and they discuss the reasons why. Children take part in yoga sessions and relaxation activities. This helps children to regulate their emotions.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to effectively implement the curriculum for communication and language.
- 6 February 2024Good
- 18 May 2018Good
- 29 June 2017Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Palacefields Daycare Centre
- 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.