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.
Little Acorns Day Nursery & Pre-School, Atherton
Situated on Bolton Road, Atherton, Little Acorns boasts an excellent reputation within its local community having provided exceptional childcare for children aged from six weeks to five years old since 1987.
Joining the Partou group enables the continued success of our setting as we combine our unique learning experiences with the stability offered by a 100 nursery-strong provider.
Facilities
A ‘Nature Days’ learning programme supported by activities in our large outdoor play area
Exciting day trips in our nursery minibus, allowing exploration of our local area
Healthy and delicious meals from our seasonal menu, freshly prepared at the nursery
Championing of children’s interest driven by our belief in the ‘Curiosity Approach’
Exceptional attention to children’s health and wellness
Funded Childcare Options Available
Nursery fees
| Full-day (2 sessions) |
Weekly rate | Early drop off session | Morning session | Afternoon session | Late pick-up session | |
| Session time | 8.00am-6.00pm | 8.00am-6.00pm daily | 7.15am-8.00am | 8.00am-1.00pm | 1.00pm-6.00pm | 6.00-6.15 pm |
| Care | £62.50 | £281.25 | £7.05 | £37.50 | £37.50 | £2.35 |
| Meals & snacks | £9.05 | £45.25 | £5.10 | £3.95 | ||
| Consumables | £2.95 | £14.75 | £1.65 | £1.30 | ||
| Total | £74.50 | £341.25 | £44.25 | £42.75 |
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 Little Acorns 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 Little Acorns 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 Little Acorns 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 Little Acorns 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.
)
Little Acorns
Day Nursery
& Pre-school
01942 896102
Mon - Fri, 7.15am to 6.15pm (excl. bank holidays)
279 Bolton Road, Atherton, Greater Manchester, M46 9HG
View on map
What families say?
Overall rating
92%
8%
0%
0%
0%
A B
11 July 2025
My little boy loves going to nursery and has come on so much since joining his latest room. He has made strong connections and is so happy.
Grace C
09 July 2025
We love Little Acorns! Our twin boys really love the nursery and staff and have developed and progressed in leaps and bounds over the last couple of years. Little Acorns staff really take the time to get to know our boys and help them thrive. We are really confident that they are really well taken c...
Bhavika C
31 July 2024
My child has loved Little Acorns from the first time she attended. The staff are caring and she has developed here wonderfully. I am very pleased with all the different daily activities and the weekly menus are great. I cannot thank the staff at Little Acorns enough.
J S
31 July 2024
My son has been here since he was a baby. Watching him grow and his confidence grow has been amazing. Thank you to all the staff, you have helped him grow so much, he ahs loved his time here.
Emma B
31 July 2024
Our son really enjoys spending time with the teachers and likes telling us what he has been up to.
E M
15 May 2024
My child loves being at Little Acorns. She settled in so well and the teachers are amazing at dealing with her illnesses and allergies. She has loved moving up to infants room and is stimulated every day with great activities.
H B
15 May 2024
Little Acorns have given us so much confidence in knowing once we drop our child off she is in safe hands and really cared for. Our child loves caring and we couldn't recommend you all enough. Thank you.
M G
15 May 2024
Incredible service, my child always comes home with a smile and you can always tell he's had an amazing day. The girls are amazing with him and always keep myself and Dad up to date with what he gets up to.
A C
15 May 2024
Couldn't ask for any better people to look after my little girl. The staff are amazing and my little girl loves coming into nursery. She is thriving thanks to the girls at Little Acorns. So glad we chose Little Acorns!
N C
15 May 2024
I am very happy with the nursery and how my child has settled. All of the staff have been helpful.
J L
15 May 2024
Really good experience. Lots of learning and care for my child, good resources for learning. My child gets well looked after by staff. Value for money. Feel relaxed knowing my child is in a fantastic setting.
Shauna N
24 April 2024
After trying my child in a different nursery and him not settling, I'm so glad I found Little Acorns. He loves it and is so happy here, they are amazing.
Kirsty H
24 April 2024
We only joined a couple of weeks ago, but since joining we have been made to feel welcome and kept informed the whole time. We were nervous leaving him for the first time, but felt safe and reassured. We would definitely recommend, our son loves his time at nursery.
Charlotte D
23 April 2024
We couldn't recommend Little Acorns enough. The staff are incredible and listen to our every question about our child. It is clear to see that a lot of thought goes into what the children need and how to help their development. Everyone is caring and kind at Little Acorns and you really feel like a p...
Heather G
20 April 2024
Excellent nursery. My son absolutely adores his key worker, she has put 100% into him and really helped to develop him. I have a child in another nursery which is nowhere near as good as Little Acorns. I would 100% recommend to anyone looking to place their child here.
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...