Understanding the Ofsted inspection changes
Ofsted are making important changes to the way that they inspect and rate children's services and childcare settings; learn what these are and what they mean for families.
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 and sun cream.
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 do families say about Partou Little Darlings Day Nursery & Pre-School in Stockport?
Overall rating
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Dani B
26 August 2025
The nursery has great security which makes me feel happy knowing my child is very safe with plenty of gates to the surrounding and security keypads to get through different doors and be let in by only the team in the nursery. Lots of outdoor space for the children to run around and explore the enviro...
José O
19 August 2025
Everyone that work there is very helpful and very kind with our baby. I can see he really loves to be there and he learning a lot of new things. They have good playing and learning areas and they do a very good follow up of kids development
A S
13 August 2025
I have been using Little Darlings Nursery for the last 5 years, both my children being there from 9 months old and my daughter now on her final stretch of PreSchool. As a parent finding somewhere I felt comfortable leaving my children and trusting they were in safe hands was massive. LD definitely ...
Sam C
06 August 2025
Our son has been at little darlings day nursery for 18 months now and he absolutely loves it at little darlings, all the staff are amazing, caring and well trained From the minute we look around the nursery we knew we felt at ease leaving our child in the hands of little darlings Every room our c...
Dale W
05 August 2025
Had a great month at the nursery. All the staff have been great with our little twins transition from baby room to littles. I know how much our children enjoy it as they get excite when we go to nursery and they hold their arms out to the staff.
Rebecc W
05 August 2025
My twins have been at little darlings for 8 months now and we have had a fantastic experience. They have come on so much in the time attending, the staff are fab and made me feel at ease leaving my babies with them. The environment is great, they have been in the baby room for this time and it has su...
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...
Rob B
09 July 2025
I cannot speak highly enough of little darlings. The manager and the team are always on hand if you need anything Both of my girls love nursery and every single staff member is so nice and lovely both with the children and parents The manager will always do her best to help with whatever she can...
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...
Mark R
12 June 2025
Couldn't recommend this nursery enough. We looked at a few and this one is so welcoming. Staff are great and cant do enough to make your child feel welcomed. Our child started at 9 months old and the relationship she has build with staff members is heart warming to see. She always has a smile on her ...
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.
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.
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