Sunbeams Atherton
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Manchester for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 April 2022. Open since 2013, with 75 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 Wigan
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Wigan 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
M46 9DFWhat 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.
- 3 June 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 26 April 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
On arrival, children are enthusiastically welcomed into this safe, very wellmaintained nursery. Familiar staff individually greet children in the reception area before escorting them to their room. Children's personal development and their emotional well-being is at the heart of staff practice throughout the nursery.
Children are happy and enjoy their time here. They thrive on the positive relationships that they quickly develop with key members of staff. Babies benefit from affectionate and consistent relationships. Established sleep-time routines and the caring presence of well-known staff help children under two years to drift gently off to sleep.
Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and excitedly explore the activities on offer. They make meaningful choices about where they want to play.
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 help ensure that all staff consistently deliver a high-quality educational programme for language and communication n strengthen the educational programme for physical development to provide greater challenge and increased opportunities to develop overall body strength, balance, coordination and agility.
- 26 April 2022Good
- 2 July 2019Good
- 17 January 2019Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Sunbeams Atherton
- 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.