Sunshine Under 5's
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Runcorn for children from birth to 5, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2024. Open since 1998, with 19 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 6LJWhat 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, 16 September 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are well settled in the home-from-home nursery. They arrive happily and quickly engage in play and learning. Staff provide an inclusive, nurturing environment for children. They get to know children's whole family to help them understand their individual needs. This helps staff to support children's emotional well-being. Staff recognise the importance of helping children to learn about sharing and turn taking. They plan activities that help children to learn these fundamental skills. Staff model good manners and remind children about friendly behaviours. This encourages children to develop their social skills and learn about what is expected of them.
The nursery provides a broad curriculum that is flexible to support all children's individual needs. Communication and language development is a strength. Staff recognise that this is low attaining in the area and prioritise it. They talk to children a lot, modelling how to hold back-and-forth conversations. Staff sing to children throughout the day. They encourage children to join in with words they remember and model the actions from familiar rhymes. Children chat to themselves and their friends during play and are developing some of the conversational skills they will need for school.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- focus outdoor learning more sharply on the curriculum intentions to further support those children who prefer to learn outdoors n provide parents with more specific information about children's individual next steps to help them extend learning at home.
- 16 September 2024Good
- 11 October 2023Needs improvement
- 9 November 2022Needs improvement
- 15 November 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 4 graded inspections.
Still missing for Sunshine Under 5's
- 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.