Benefits of music in early childhood education
From nursery rhymes to dancing games, music helps your child grow. Learn how music in early years education supports development in fun, meaningful ways.
Footprints Day Nursery & Pre-School, Atherton
Set in a converted Victorian school building, Partou Footprints provides exceptional childcare and early years education to families in Atherton, Tyldesley and surrounding areas.
Part of the Partou group, which consists of 100 nurseries nationwide, our core values are to provide care, compassion, and continuous learning opportunities for all children within our nursery.
Facilities
Homely, happy environments with colourful playrooms
Exciting learning activities tailored to the unique likes and interests of each child
Healthy and delicious meals from our seasonal menu, freshly prepared at the nursery
Outdoor adventures come rain or shine in our secure garden space
Kind, caring and qualified nursery staff with DBS checks and first aid training
Funded Childcare Options Available
Nursery fees
| Full-day (2 sessions) |
Weekly rate | Early drop off session | Morning session | Afternoon session | |
| Session time | 8.00am-6.00pm | 8.00am-6.00pm daily | 7.15am-8.00am | 8.00am-1.00pm | 1.00pm-6.00pm |
| Care | £56.25 | £253.13 | £6.35 | £33.75 | £33.75 |
| Meals & snacks | £9.05 | £45.25 | £5.15 | £3.90 | |
| Consumables | £2.95 | £14.75 | £1.70 | £1.25 | |
| Total | £68.25 | £313.13 | £40.60 | £38.90 |
Upon registration, you will be asked to pay a £75 registration fee (non-refundable) or a £75 registration deposit to reserve your child’s nursery place (see terms and conditions for eligibility).
What’s included in our fees?
Our full fees are clearly broken down into care, meals & snacks and consumables fees for full transparency.
Care fees include: trained, qualified team members taking care of your child, regular updates about your child and their progress at nursery, a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities tailored to the needs of your child, and use of the nursery building facilities.
Meals & snacks fees cover the cost of all food and drinks whilst your child is in our care. Meal and snack times are a very important part of Partou nursery life, learn more about how we make food and nutrition enjoyable and educational for children in our care.
Consumables include; important daily care items needed such as nappies, wet wipes, sun cream, soap, plus other health and hygiene essentials.
Discounts
Only one discount can be applied at any time:
- 5% discount for eldest child for siblings.
- 5% discount for Blue Light Card holders.
Other key information
- We’re closed on Bank Holidays.
- We close at 4pm on Christmas Eve.
- We’re closed between Christmas and New Year.
- Charges apply across 52 weeks of the year, including Bank Holidays.
Funded childcare
Partou Footprints Day Nursery & Pre-School is proud to offer funded childcare places
Funded childcare is a government incentive fulfilled by Local Authorities which aims to provide financial support for eligible families accessing childcare at an OFSTED registered setting. Partou Footprints Day Nursery & Pre-School work with Wigan Local Authority to apply childcare funding for eligible families.
Funding typically covers 15 or 30 hours per week for the 38 term weeks of the year across a maximum of 10 hours a day which will be applied in different ways depending how many weeks of the year your child is in childcare:
- Children who are in year-round childcare will receive “stretched” funding. This means that their 15/30 hours over 38 weeks will be stretched over 51 weeks of the year so children accessing year round childcare at Partou Footprints will receive 11.17/22.35 hours of funded childcare per week.
- Children who have term-time only childcare places will receive 15/30 hours funding per week over 38 weeks of the year. Term-time only places are limited and are subject to availability.
Government funding for childcare only applies to the care fee (as described above). Meals & snacks and consumables fees are fully chargeable for all sessions including funded.
Many families are eligible for government funded childcare, see our childcare funding guide for more information.
Term duration and dates
The 2025/2026 terms dates set by Wigan for Partou Footprints Day Nursery & Pre-School are below so you can see which term dates funding is applicable for:
|
|
Autumn Term | Spring Term | Summer Term |
| Term Duration | 14 Weeks | 11 Weeks | 13 Weeks |
| 1st Half Term Dates | 8th Sept – 24th Oct | 5th Jan – 13th Feb | 13th April – 22nd May |
| 2nd Half Term Dates | 3rd Nov – 19th Dec | 23rd Feb – 27th March | 1st June – 17th July |
Please note that when you access funding in the term can impact the hours you are eligible for within that term period.
Our team will be able to assist you with any funding and term questions you may have.
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Footprints
Day Nursery
& Pre-school
01942 876546
Mon - Fri, 7.15am to 6.00pm (excl. bank holidays)
Alderfold St, Atherton, Manchester, M46 9DS
View on map
What families say?
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Lauren F
27 June 2025
When we first walked around footprints we knew it was the one. Leaving your child to go back to work can be very daunting but our daughter has settled amazing into the nursery. All the staff are so friendly and there's always a range of activities going on throughout the day. We couldn't recommend ...
R C
25 June 2025
Great staff who genuinely care about the kids and it shows. Ive used other nursery and childcare providers before and honestly worried about my child. I'd get daily calls of head injuries and I'm happy to say that at Footprints my clumsy boy hasn't had half as many injuries. It's a fantastic place an...
Rachael O
06 June 2025
Footprints are fantastic and I cannot recommend them enough. My little girl joined when she was one and was a little apprehensive about being left at first, but the whole team made such a fuss of here and now she runs through the gate in the morning. The meals provided for her are brilliant and expos...
Samantha J
05 June 2025
We love this nursery. Our son had great early years here and our daughter is thriving here currently. All the staff are caring, nurturing and encouraging. The nursery is well ran, well maintained and the children have access to some great provisions. Activities are well thought out and giving great e...
Beth R
05 June 2025
I love Footprints nursery for my daughter, the staff are so kind and caring and my daughter has learnt so much here. As a parent, also I feel the staff are so helpful with anything going on at home and at nursery when I confide in them.
Vicky H
05 June 2025
Our little one has settled in well at nursery I wanted to come to this nursery as my youngest son came here who is now 20. The nursery is still amazing and our little one loves it. The staff and management have been great.
Vicki C
05 June 2025
Footprints is a loving and caring nursery. It has a family feel and all the staff care for the children like they are their own children. There is always laughter and music coming from the nursery. We often pick up outside of normal collection times and the atmosphere is still loving and fun. My litt...
Ellie R
04 June 2025
My daughter has been coming to Footprints since she was 7 months old, we feel so comfortable dropping her off with the lovely girls in the room. The whole nursery gives us a home from home feeling and my baby has settled in amazingly!
E L
13 May 2025
5 stars - A Wonderful Start for Our son We couldn't be happier with the care and support our child has received at this nursery. From day one, the staff have been absolutely fantastic at helping him to settle in - something we were quite nervous about as parents. Their patience and kindness made s...
R M
09 May 2025
Footprints are an absolutely amazing nursery, My son recently started here in April and since starting he has come on massively with his development. The team here are so lovely and very approachable. The communication between the staff and parents is wonderful and the app is really good to see wha...
Sian C
09 April 2025
Staff are friendly, nurturing, and well experienced. From apprentices right up to management each and everyone of them are happy, approachable, caring and knowledgeable. My son runs in in a morning happy to greet them as they are waiting happy to greet him.The environments are stimulating, well equip...
S B
06 February 2025
My little boy has just transitioned from 'toddlers' to 'Pre-School' at Footprints Day Nursery & Preschool. As a mother I was so so anxious as my little boy does not like change and loves routine, I can't thank every single one of the team here for making this a smooth process. I truly feel like my ...
Kayleigh E
06 February 2025
My daughter attends this nursery and I'm so happy I made the decision to send her here! After viewing a few in the area, I instantly knew this was the nursery for her and it hasn't disappointed. The staff are all so lovely and always give a good handover upon collection, I never feel rushed or as tho...
Emily S
05 February 2025
I cannot tell you how amazing this nursery is! Watching your child run into their room with excitement waving bye whilst being held by a member of staff with a big smile on their face makes me feel so proud and relaxed knowing my daughter loves being there! It was definitely the best decision to s...
P B
05 February 2025
My little boy started here in the new year and I was so anxious about leaving him with strangers. The staff are absolutely amazing! So friendly and approachable! I know that my son is safe and happy in their care. My little boy has become more confident since starting nursery and I am happy we chos...
Why Partou?
For us at Partou, childcare isn’t just a job, it’s a journey – one where every child leads us in a unique new direction.
As part of the Netherlands’ largest childcare group, we’ve access to world-leading expertise in learning and development, so you can be confident your child will benefit from an experience as unique as they are.
Of course, care is as much about empathy as education, and ours is a child-led approach that emphasises building confidence and curiosity – so that every child in our care has the freedom to flourish.
Reassurance for you and your little one
Care
We’re more than just a team; we’re a close community driven by our passion for childcare, and our commitment to each individual child’s development. We know that by working together, we’re stronger.
Compassion
In our community, compassion isn’t just a word; it’s our way of life. By embracing our differences, we make our community more diverse and vibrant. We build strong, supportive relationships with the children and each other, based on trust and understanding.
Continuous learning
We believe strongly in development, for the children in our care and for ourselves. Through continuous learning, we help our team and our children reach their full potential. Together, we make a positive impact, in our communities and across wider society.
Knowledge hub
Personal, social and emotional development
Why PSED is so important in early years?
Some of the most fundamental skills in life are the things we learn early on. Understanding and managing emotions, building positive relationships and developing a sense of self-awareness are among them, and these are all examples of personal, social...