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 Darlings Day Nursery & Pre-School, Stockport
Rated ‘Outstanding’ by Oftsed, Partou Little Darlings Day Nursery can be found on the edge of Offerton and Heaviley, meaning we’re easy to reach from Stockport Town Centre, the A6 and M60.
Our inspiring environments support children’s creativity as we embrace Partou’s values of care, compassion, and continuous learning to deliver the highest standards of childcare every day.
Facilities
A friendly ‘home from home’ environment with a welcoming atmosphere and strong parent partnerships
Spacious outdoor areas including mud kitchens, dens and obstacle courses
Healthy and delicious meals from our seasonal menu, freshly prepared at the nursery
Playrooms filled with exciting learning resources and activities inspired by children’s natural interests
Highly qualified staff with First Aid Certificates and DBS checks
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 | 7.30am-8.00am | 8.00am-1.00pm | 1.00pm-6.00pm |
| Care | £64.25 | £289.13 | £4.85 | £38.55 | £38.55 |
| Meals & snacks | £9.00 | £45.00 | £4.50 | £4.50 | |
| Consumables | £3.00 | £15.00 | £1.50 | £1.50 | |
| Total | £76.25 | £349.13 | £44.55 | £44.55 |
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 Darlings 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 Darlings Day Nursery & Pre-School work with Stockport 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 Darlings 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 Stockport Local Authority for Partou Little Darlings 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 | 12 Weeks | 12 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 | 8th June – 24th 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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Little Darlings
Day Nursery
& Pre-school
0161 474 7475
Mon - Fri, 7.30am to 6.00pm (excl. bank holidays)
382-384 Hempshaw Lane, Stockport, SK1 4NT
View on map
What families say?
Overall rating
97%
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Lenka W
22 July 2025
The nursery is excellent. Everyone is friendly and helpful. Our daughter loves going every day and she has progreesed in her development massively since she started at Little Darlings. The nursery is also very accommodating with early starts and are very flexible. The communication is excellent, whet...
Z D
10 July 2025
My child has attended for around 2 years now. Nursery staff are all so welcoming & get to know your child by name even if not in their room. The establishment is very professional and willing to assist on any questions. The food menu has improved over the last year under new management and I'm very h...
Nicole T
08 July 2025
My Daughter has been attending here for over a year and a half now and she really enjoys it. She loves spending time outside playing and the activities that they do on a daily basis. The staff are very nurturing, and caring. We feel we have been supported whilst our daughter had an operation....
Jade W
03 July 2025
My daughter started here in September in preschool after being in another nursery. I was unsure at first as I was moving nurseries due to change of address and was happy with my old nursery. However after the first week all my anxieties and worries were gone. The staff at little darlings are fantas...
Rachel B
07 May 2025
Truly one of the best nurseries in Stockport! My eldest girl has been going for over two years and I didn't hesitate to place my youngest there after maternity leave. The staff are wonderful and truely care about the children they look after. Both of my children have come on leaps and bounds after at...
Emily M
28 April 2025
My daughter currently attends this nursery and recently started in the baby room. The staff have always been super attentive to my child's needs, taking into account little details about her interests, how she likes to be given her milk, how she likes to get to sleep etc. This puts me at great ease- ...
Leanne T
28 October 2024
Great nursery. The staff are fab and really connect with my lad and care for him so well. It's great to see how my boy has come on with his development since starting. Thanks, team. You're great.
Leanne O
24 September 2024
My older daughter was just about to finish Little Darlings when I found out I was expecting twins so I put their names down before they were born! After such a positive experience with our first child there was no doubt we would be returning to Little Darlings with its homely environment and caring s...
Heather W
23 September 2024
My son has been going to Little Darlings Nursery since he was 9 months old and he is now 13 months. He has settled in so well, he loves the staff and is very happy to see them when he arrives. The staff are very genuine and care for the kids. He is also learning a lot while he is there and we are upd...
Helen C
30 July 2024
Since our little boy started in January this year the staff have been amazing. They have really welcomed him, and it's fair to say he loves it and everyone there! In the time he's been here he's gone from not yet being able to crawl to now pretty much running about, the support and help from staff as...
Mhairi O
12 March 2024
Little Darlings has been the best experience for us as a family. We have sent all 3 of our children there and haven't got a bad word to say about the place. The staff are all brilliant, the level of care is fantastic and all of our kids have absolutely loved going there. We are very sadly taking our ...
Bethan W
08 March 2024
Little Darlings Day Nursery is an exceptional nursery, welcoming and safe environment. So pleased we chose this one for our son. His progression has come on so much and we thank Little Darlings for this! The team are amazing, kind, compassionate and excellent communication. I would highly recomm...
Catherine K
06 March 2024
Lovely nursery, my child is doing really well and enjoys it. All the team are lovely and very supportive of child development. The children learn many skills and have a balanced diet for their meals. Definitely recommend it to prospective parents and children.
N G
06 March 2024
This is my second child who has attended this nursery. Both have been extremely happy, settled and content. They have been well cared for both physically and emotionally. The food provided is excellent. Knowledge of the staff and their development of children is excellent. They always have different ...
Rebecca C
21 February 2024
Both of my children have attended this nursery since the age of one, my eldest will be leaving for school in September and it has been a great nursery for the whole 6 years we've used them. The staff are always kind and caring and my boys have formed great bonds with them and are happy to go each mor...
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...