The Spinney Day Nursery
Needs improvement★ 4.3 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Chester for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Needs improvement by Ofsted in September 2025. Open since 1998, with 41 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 Cheshire West and Chester
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Cheshire West and Chester 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
CH2 3PAWhat 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, 19 September 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The provision requires improvement
Overall, children are happy and have positive relationships with the staff that care for them. They benefit from a varied curriculum and a range of engaging activities.
However, this is not consistent across the nursery. Mostly, children demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning and enjoy the experiences on offer. For instance, they enjoy exploring the outdoor area and learning about nature as they play. Children learn about the natural environment and demonstrate their knowledge as they confidently identify plants and insects. However, there are some times when leaders do not ensure the curriculum is sequenced. For example, staff do not consistently plan opportunities to help younger children develop their physical skills. This hinders children's progress.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: implement effective supervision and coaching arrangements for staff to help improve their practice and quality of interactions (by 15/10/2025)
complete the progress check when children are aged between two and three years and ensure assessments identify what children need to learn next, and share this information with parents (by 15/10/2025)
improve routines to meet the needs of all children. (by 15/10/2025)
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- 19 September 2025Needs improvement Safeguarding: Yes
- 16 January 2020Good
- 2 July 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Spinney Day 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.