Inside Partou Kids Corner: a Sandbach nursery built around real-life learning

Partou Kids Corner Day Nursery & Pre-School in Sandbach is a nursery built around curiosity. Children spend hours outside every day, come rain or shine, in a garden with a climbing wall, growing beds and its own indoor-outdoor learning space. Real life experiences are part of the everyday here too, from a visit by the fire service to looking at and talking about a steam engine parked up outside. The nursery is full of character and curiosity which shines through the reviews from families.

Behind that energy is a team that is constantly improving, led by Nursery Manager Tyler Burgess. We sat down with Tyler, who has worked in nurseries across the North West since 2017, to hear where the drive comes from and where she wants to take the nursery next.

You came in as Manager when the nursery was ready for change. What were your first impressions?

Just before I joined in March 2025, the nursery had been through a very disappointing Ofsted inspection and although this was daunting to come into, I could see so much potential and everyone was really determined to improve the nursery for the children and families attending.

Before I even started, I put together an action plan which we used to demonstrate progress at the next inspection.

What were the most pressing things to address?

The team’s wellbeing was one of the most important priorities. They’d had a really hard few months and they were understandably disheartened.

It was important to get to know the team; one to ones, supervisions and peer observations really helped with this. This also helped to identify any knowledge gaps so I could give the team the support they needed to grow and build their confidence.

I also implemented weekly team meetings where we reviewed a different area of the EYFS, such as safe sleep and personal, social and emotional development to ensure we could provide children with the best possible support.

From there, we reviewed and adapted the curriculum across all our rooms, with a strong focus on sequential learning. So we looked at what children learn in the baby room and make sure it builds naturally as they move up through the age groups, helping children grow in confidence and independence at every stage of their development.

Finally, parent partnerships were a real focus for improvement in terms of building trust and communicating the overall vision for the nursery.

“We’ve noticed a real improvement in the nursery since new management took over, a positive change in organisation and communication. That said, the staff have always been so welcoming and caring.” Alison B, mother of child (daynurseries.co.uk)

What was the impact of the changes you made?

The great thing was that the team was so excited for the next inspection because we could all feel the positive changes that had been made and wanted Ofsted to see them.

We were delighted to receive a “Good” judgement at the May 2025 Ofsted inspection, with the inspectors acknowledging the nursery team had been “relentless in its pursuit to raise standards and aspirations for children, staff, parents and carers.”

They also praised that we had “created a safe place for children to flourish and thrive” and that “children’s laughter is truly infectious across this vibrant setting.” This recognition was honestly music to our ears and testament to the dedication of the team that we had achieved this turnaround in just a few short months.

What does the nursery look like now, day to day?

What are the biggest changes families and children would notice about the nursery?

The resources and spaces have definitely changed significantly. We put a lot of hard work into revamping the space and created a sensory room which every age-group has access to on a daily rotation. For our children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), it’s been especially valuable.

We also transformed a storage space in the middle of the playground into an indoor-outdoor learning area. We’ve got bird feeders on the windows, so birds come right up to the glass which the children love. There’s planting all year round; mint, herbs, potatoes, sunflowers, all sorts, which is great for helping children understand where food comes from and how to grow it themselves. The children go into the outdoor learning area in the morning and afternoon as part of their day, whatever the weather.

We’ve also built out the maths area outside; numeracy chalkboards and counting resources, so the learning carries on out there. We also have a climbing wall outside now and resources to support children’s physical skill development.

“There are lots of different activities, including plenty of time outdoors, and we receive regular updates and pictures about what our son has been doing. Communication is excellent.” F H, mother of child (daynurseries.co.uk)

What changed in terms of how the team works?

The awareness of the curriculum is one of the biggest shifts. The team now understand the intent behind what they’re doing with children, why they’re doing a particular activity and what impact it should have. They know what they’re working towards with each child and at each stage. That sounds like it should be a given, but it takes real investment in training and honest conversations to be confident that this is now applied consistently.

We do team meetings every month, a dedicated two hours with a proper agenda. I keep a working document all month and add to the agenda as things come up. We think about how to share information in ways that are engaging, not just reading out a policy. The team feel settled because there are never any surprises. Because of our desire to grow and improve, something’s always happening but the team feel safe because they always know it’s coming.

How does Partou Kids Corner approach children’s individual needs?

SEND support seems to be something you’ve invested in significantly. Can you tell us more about that?

We’ve really invested in our SEND provision and have multiple SENCOs in the team now to ensure we are providing the very best care in this area. Zuzanna, our senior deputy manager, has a degree in SEND. Lydia, one of our deputies, has a SEND qualification and comes from a specialist primary school. Jess, one of our room leaders, worked at a specialist primary school for six years. I’m a SENCO myself. So there’s a lot of knowledge in the nursery team and it shows in how we work with children.

We work really closely with Cheshire East’s specialist support team, and they’re at the nursery most weeks. They’ve been invaluable in supporting families and quick to join meetings, so every child gets the right support at the right time. Families tell us that this level of coordination makes a real difference.

What does that look like in practice for families?

We really aim to go above and beyond to support families and I’ve even visited specialist schools with families to help them find the right choice for their needs.

We have an open-door policy and we mean it. Families come in most mornings and afternoons to have a chat, or they drop me an email. I’m genuinely happy for families to come in anytime they want to and look around.

“The nursery team are compassionate and caring. They take the time to get to know my son, his mannerisms, and flex their approach to meet his needs. He has thrived since being here.” R F, mother of child (daynurseries.co.uk)

What makes Partou Kids Corner’s approach to learning different?

How would you describe how the nursery approaches the curriculum?

We’re interest-led. Everything we plan is built around what children are actually curious about. Whatever their next step is, whatever niche interest they have, we find a way to weave it in. The children’s interests shape what happens in the rooms, not the other way around.

We also bring the outside world in as much as we can. We’ve had a steam engine visit because most of the children were going to the Sandbach transport festival that weekend. I just contacted someone, it didn’t cost anything, and they came for an hour. The children got to go up on the steam engine, which they didn’t get to do at the festival itself because it was a smaller, more personal setting. We’ve had the dentist in to talk about oral hygiene, we’ve had police officers, the fire engine has been. These are real experiences and children remember them and it helps to consolidate learning when it is brought to life.

What’s the culture like within the team?

Everyone is really invested in achieving the best possible outcomes for all children and building relationships between home and the nursery to do this; the open-door policy really supports this.

There’s a lot of character in this nursery. The team bring completely different things and we celebrate everything together. We have families and team members with different backgrounds and we love observing different traditions and family types as it is important that everyone is represented and celebrated.  

Bringing different experiences and perspectives into the nursery really matters to us. We have families come in and share things with the children such as food, stories and celebrations from home. Children see the adults in their lives as part of the nursery, not separate from it.

“Kids Corner truly feels like a home from home. I have complete reassurance knowing my child is cared for just as well as I look after them myself. Their confidence, social skills and overall development has come on in leaps and bounds.” Helen F, mother of child (daynurseries.co.uk)

What are you working on next?

What’s on the horizon for Kids Corner?

Community links are the big focus for this year. We’ve enjoyed activities like visits from the fire service and wreath-making for the Remembrance memorial to bring learning to life and foster a sense of community with the children. We’ll also be getting out and about in the local Sandbach community on visits to places like the shops and library.

Home learning is the other one and supporting families to understand our curriculum so they can extend it at home. Giving families the tools to be part of what’s happening brings so many benefits for children and their learning so that’s a big focus.

We also want to continue improving the outdoor space as this is an important part of nursery life.

What would you want a family considering Partou Kids Corner to know right now?

That we are all genuinely passionate about children’s wellbeing here. Every single one of us. Children are treated as individuals. Whatever interest they bring through the door, we champion it. We’ve got a lot of character as a setting and I think families feel that pretty quickly when they come in.

“What really makes this nursery special is the staff. Every single member of the team, from the manager and key workers to the cook, genuinely cares about the children. Their number one priority is always making sure the children feel safe, happy and cared for, and you can see how invested they are in every child’s development and wellbeing. Our boys have absolutely loved their time here, and it’s been wonderful to see the strong relationships they’ve built with the staff. They go above and beyond, and it’s clear that this isn’t just a job to them, they truly care.” Kirsty N, mother of child (daynurseries.co.uk)

Come and see for yourself

Partou Kids Corner Day Nursery and Pre-School is based at 120 Congleton Road, Sandbach CW11 1HF, and welcomes children from birth to five years. The team offer tours throughout the year and genuinely enjoy showing families around.