March 12th, 2026
Partou Willowdene in Widnes have been recognised for their commitment to giving children the healthiest start possible with a holistic approach to wellbeing that extends beyond the nursery world. Learn about their award and what this means for families.
Partou Willowdene Day Nursery and Pre-School have proudly achieved Halton Healthy Early Years Status. This award celebrates settings which go above and beyond to support children’s health, wellbeing, and early development. From nutrition and physical activity to emotional security and family partnership, the award reflects a whole‑setting commitment to giving children the healthiest possible start. We sat down with Nursery Manager, Hayley McCue, to learn more the award process and how it’s already making a difference for children, families and the nursery team.
Hi Hayley, please can you tell us how you became aware of the Halton Healthy Early Years status and how you decided to take part?
I’ve been aware of the award for a while and have actually achieved it at a previous setting I worked at. I’ve been at Partou Willowdene for around 18 months and was delighted when the Council reached out to see if I’d like to take part.
What was the award process and how long did it take?
A representative of the Council’s Healthy Early Years Team visited us for an audit and a walk around to see how healthy early years’ processes are embedded in the nursery. They reviewed our menus and asked questions about our practices to ensure that we are promoting good health habits and guidance consistently. It was really collaborative and conversational and the visit took a day so was very thorough.
What areas are assessed as part of Halton Healthy Early Years Status and which of your daily practices displayed the desired criteria?
It really covers all aspects of physical, social and emotional wellbeing for both children and families.
We reviewed the Partou menus which are great because they’ve been developed by Early Years’ Nutrionist Laura Matthews and balance variety and familiarity to embed healthy eating practices for life. We also talked about our allergen policy and our plate colour coding which keeps children safe at mealtimes if they have any allergies or dietary needs.
Dental health was an important focus of the conversation and how we promote awareness of healthy foods and practice the toothbrushing song which supports children to become familiar with how long they need to brush their teeth for. We also hand out early years’ toothbrushes and toothpaste to families which were really popular.
Another interesting topic was celebrating milestones healthily. For example, on birthdays we sing the “Happy Birthday Song” using the birthday hat rather than centering this around the cake. If families want to send in cake to celebrate their child’s birthday, instead we encourage them to send something like bubbles so the celebration is the focus rather than the food.
The Healthy Early Years Team were also pleased that the offer space for breastfeeding as this supports and empowers families in their feeding choices.
Did you have to make any changes to achieve all of those elements?
No, these are all things that we do as part of daily nursery life and improving the health and wellbeing of children attending Partou Willowdene.
Was there anything beyond the nursery taken into account as part of the award?
Yes! As well as the standard practices within the nursery, the Halton Healthy Early Years representative worked with me to ensure we are able to sign post families to support and resources outside of the nursery setting for a range of health and wellbeing requirements. For example, if families need assistance with themes such as Special Educational Needs, quitting smoking or mental health, we are able to help them find guidance. This also refers to perinatal support such as adjusting to motherhood, accessing baby and toddler classes as well as toilet training so we can ensure our nursery community is well supported both inside the nursery and outside in the local community and online.
What a great source of support for families, how have the team responded to the award?
We are all really happy about it, especially as the practices are so embedded in our nursery life and these are healthy habits we encourage daily.
We really appreciate the acknowledgement and the reassurance that our hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. The Halton Healthy Early Years Status plaque is in our reception area so the nursery team, children and our families all walk past it everyday and we feel proud to be recognised for our commitment to our nursery community’s health and wellbeing.
Hearing the team’s passion, it’s clear that this achievement is about far more than a certificate; it’s about creating everyday experiences that help children thrive. Partou Willowdene’s commitment to health, wellbeing, and family partnership shines through in every part of nursery life. We’re incredibly proud of their hard work and excited to see how they continue building on this fantastic foundation in the months ahead.
Halton Healthy Early Years Status is an award given by the local council to early years settings that go above and beyond to support children’s health, wellbeing, and development. It recognises a whole-setting commitment to nutrition, physical activity, emotional security, and strong family partnerships.
The assessment covered all aspects of physical, social, and emotional wellbeing. Key areas included the nursery’s nutritionally balanced menus (developed by an Early Years Nutritionist), allergen management, dental health promotion, healthy celebration practices (such as encouraging families to bring bubbles rather than cake for birthdays), and breastfeeding-friendly facilities.
Yes. As part of achieving the award, the nursery worked with the Halton Healthy Early Years Team to ensure it can signpost families to external support across a wide range of needs, including Special Educational Needs guidance, mental health resources, support with quitting smoking, perinatal wellbeing, baby and toddler classes, and toilet training.
No. Nursery Manager Hayley McCue confirmed that all the assessed elements were already embedded in the nursery’s daily practice and were simply part of how the setting runs. The award validated what the team was already doing day to day.
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