Why choose Partou Willowdene Day Nursery & Pre-School in Widnes?
Situated opposite Victoria Park and just minutes away from Widnes station, Partou Willowdene Day Nursery and Pre-School is highly popular amongst families in the Farnworth, Appleton, and Lunts Heath areas of Widnes.
As we are located so closely to Victoria Park, children get the opportunity to visit the park most days and love playing on the band stand, exploring the butterfly house and squirrel trail, playing on the park, feeding the ducks and visiting the cafe most days of the week. Spending time outdoors has a range of benefits for children including developing social and critical thinking skills, aiding emotional resilience and improving cognitive function and focus.
Books and numbers are an important part of our early years curriculum at Willowdene Day Nursery & Pre-School and our nursery team love creating exciting activities for children based on their favourite books and to help develop their number skills.
We are thrilled to have a highly qualified nursery team and our Nursery Manager, Hayley, has Qualified Teacher Status. Hayley has a thorough understanding of child development, and she and the nursery team work hard to create an early years educational environment that encourages learning through play and builds confidence and curiosity in children to prepare them for school.
We also run stay and play sessions in which families can join children at the nursery to give you an insight into your child’s life at nursery and strengthen the relationship between families and the nursery.
We are delighted to have been awarded Halton Healthy Early Years’ Status in January 2026. This award celebrates settings which support the social, physical and emotional health and wellbeing of children and families.
If you are looking for a nursery in Widnes with strong community connections which offers your child opportunities to build confidence and curiosity, Partou Willowdene Day Nursery & Pre-School in Widnes could be the perfect choice for your family.
Bright, spacious playrooms filled with educational toys and equipment
Creative arts and crafts and varied sports activities which keep children moving
Healthy and delicious meals from our seasonal menu, freshly prepared at the nursery
Exciting outdoor areas featuring tents, playhouses, and gardening patches
Highly qualified childcare practitioners with safeguarding and first aid training. Awarded Halton Healthy Early Years Status.
Funded Childcare Places 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
£53.50
£240.75
£4.05
£32.10
£32.10
Meals & snacks
£9.00
£45.00
£4.80
£4.20
Consumables
£3.00
£15.00
£1.60
£1.40
Total
£65.50
£300.75
£38.50
£37.70
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.
We close at 4pm on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.
Charges apply across 52 weeks of the year, including Bank Holidays.
Funded childcare
Partou Willowdene 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 Willowdene Day Nursery & Pre-School work with Halton 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 52 weeks of the year so children accessing year round childcare at Partou Safehands will receive 10.96/21.92 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 Halton for Partou Willowdene 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.
Lovely nursery, my son is very happy. All the staff really care for the kids.
T E
02 April 2025
All the staff at Willowdene are really supportive and caring. Our daughter loves coming to nursery and has made lots of friends.
Jennifer O
26 March 2025
A wonderful nursery all staff are well warming and welcoming and have really met to the standards what the nursery provides
My child is well looked after and it's is shown when my child arrives we're he shows how happy is is when we enter though the door
John B
25 March 2025
Willowdene has been a great nursery for helping my child develop. He has come on so much since starting the nursery and loves attending. He has a lovely bond with all of the staff and has made lots of friends.
S M
21 March 2025
Lovely staff taking care and looking after my son. We can tell he is learning a lot, Partou is very beneficial to his growth.
P O
21 March 2025
Great experience, my child loves all the staff who are very caring and professional. She has came on leaps and bounds since starting.
V C
21 March 2025
I feel like my child is well looked after and cared for by staff. She likes going to nursery and loves her friends. She always comes home happy telling us all about the things she did throughout the day. She enjoys the activities she is presented with. The only issue is the price, it is quite expensi...
The nursery is excellent, it's got a lovely atmosphere and the staff are great with the kids. Our daughter has come on leaps and bounds since she started coming to the nursery around 9 months old. Each day there are loads of activities and getting updates on what has happened during the day very reas...
All staff are friendly and informative - also very good with my child (she loves the park).
Plenty of activities for all ages.
G F
20 March 2025
My daughter has really settled in at Willowdene since only starting a couple of months ago. All the staff are amazing and really care for all the children. There are regular trips to the local park and plenty of time spent out of the garden - which I think is great.
C F
20 March 2025
Always have a great experience with Willowdene. Staff are friendly, insightful and always helpful I never have any worries or concerns leaving my son. Nursery is always accommodating to dietry requirements and they often update the app with personal pictures and updates.
I only have the highest pra...
Willowdene nursery is fantastic and I am so happy I chose for my daughter to attend. My daughter enjoys her time in nursery and is always welcomed by smiling faces. The staff are fantastic and can never do enough. My daughter has progressed so much since attending and is constantly challenged and lea...
Excellent place for childcare, amazing service for my child and it is lovely to see how much our little boy is card for.
K E
18 March 2025
Amazing staff so friendly and make me feel happy and peace of mind leaving my child.
Abbie T
12 March 2025
My daughter has been attending Willowdene for approx 18 months, the nursery is fantastic, rooms are set out great for little ones, outdoor space is lovely. There are so many activities for children to get involved in.
The most amazing thing about the nursery is the staff, my daughter's key worker i...
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.
Helpful information for your nursery search
Partou Willowdene awarded Halton Healthy Early Years Status
Partou Willowdene in Widnes have been recognised for their commitment to giving children the healthiest start possible with a holistic approach to wellbeing that extends beyond the nursery world. Learn about their award and what this means for families.
Top tips for making the most of your nursery visit
We've compiled a list of popular questions families ask at nursery visits to help you when deciding which nursery to choose for your child's early years education.
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.