NurseryWise Childcare in England
Day nursery in Southport

Rocking Horse Nursery (Southport) Limited

GoodBirth to 5Open for decades

A day nursery in Southport for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025. Open since 2003, with 32 places.

Call 01704 231023

Cost

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 Sefton

£6.50an hour, typical for a 2 years old
£6.66an hour, typical for a 3 and 4 years old

This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Sefton from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.

The basics

Places, hours and the day

Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.

Who they can take
Birth to 5Registered from birth. Whether there is a baby room is a question for the call.
When it's open
08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a weekFrom their Google listing
Funded hours
Not published, so ask them
How many children
32 placesMedium for England
How long open
23 yearsOpen for decades
Address
35 Norwood Avenue, Southport, PR9 7EQ

Where it is

PR9 7EQ
Ofsted URN EY248043On the register since 29 May 2003
Ofsted

What 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 March 2025 · read the full report

What it is like to attend

Children are very happy in this child-focused and nurturing nursery. Staff prioritise building strong relationships with children and their families prior to them starting.

This proves highly effective in helping children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to settle swiftly. Children show that they feel safe and secure as they confidently interact with new visitors. They introduce themselves and confidently show off their outfits for World Book Day.

This also helps children to flourish in their self-esteem as they speak out loud. They demonstrate a real sense of belonging and develop skills to prepare them for their next stage in learning, including school.

What Ofsted told them to improve

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:

- support staff to understand how to sequence the curriculum for mathematics effectively to support the development of early mathematical concepts for all children n ensure staff consistently adhere to and maintain hygiene routines to promote children's understanding of how to keep themselves healthy.

  • 6 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
  • 13 May 2019Good
  • 3 June 2016Good

Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.

Still missing for Rocking Horse Nursery (Southport) Limited

  • 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.

Before you ring

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.
Compare

Day nurseries within a couple of miles

This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.

Hazeldene Day Nursery

Day nursery · 116 Sussex Road, Southport, PR8 6AE

GoodBirth to 508:00 to 17:30, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 549 placesOpen for decades
0.4 mi
9 min walk
01704 547 508

Kids Count Pre-School

Day nursery · Shoreline Church, 9 Mornington Road, Southport, PR9 0TS

OutstandingBirth to 508:30 to 16:00, 4 days a week20 placesLong established
0.9 mi
17 min walk
07779617440

Pick two or three to compare.

Everything here comes from Ofsted's published childcare register, under the Open Government Licence. Ratings are quoted exactly as Ofsted gave them, with their dates. Read the full Ofsted reports · How we put this together.

All childcare in Southport