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Partou Smileys Day Nursery & Pre-School

Ofsted: Good
(Jun 2025)
·
4.3(11 Google reviews) ·Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust, Staffordshire General Hospital, STAFFORD, ST16 3SA · Staffordshire
Number of places
71 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jun 2025
Local authority
Staffordshire

About this early years setting

Partou Smileys Day Nursery & Pre-School, located within the Stafford General Hospital complex, offers high-quality childcare to both NHS staff and local families. The nursery features neutrally decorated rooms with wooden resources, fostering a calming environment that encourages imagination and emotional regulation.

With four distinct garden spaces, two of which are free-flowing, children across all age groups can engage in outdoor play, essential for developing motor skills, confidence, independence, and curiosity. The dedicated team focuses on building strong bonds with children, promoting their growth and self-assurance.

The nursery provides nutritious, freshly prepared meals from a seasonal menu and includes daily care items like nappies and sun cream in its fees. Partou Smileys also supports families with various funding options, working with Staffordshire Local Authority to offer funded childcare places.

The nursery prides itself on excellent parent partnerships, providing regular updates and online journals to keep families informed of their child's progress.

What it's like

Staff are very caring and nurturing, showering children with love, which helps children build strong bonds. Children are flourishing, with a curriculum covering all learning areas and a wide range of experiences. Behaviour is good, with staff acting as excellent role models, promoting kindness, turn-taking, and sharing.

Located on NHS hospital siteNeutral decor and wooden resourcesFour garden spaces and outdoor playNutritious meals includedFunded childcare places available

Pricing & funding

Fees are split into care, meals and snacks, and consumables, and are charged across 52 weeks of the year including bank holidays. Government funding only covers the care element, meaning meals and consumables remain fully chargeable.

Funding accepted

15 hours — working parents (9 months–2 yrs)15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare

Good to know

  • Charges apply across 52 weeks of the year, including bank holidays when the nursery is closed.
  • A 5% discount is available for the eldest sibling or for Blue Light Card holders (discounts cannot be combined).
  • Government funding covers care fees only; meals, snacks, and consumables are fully chargeable.

Key facts

Opening hours

Mon - Fri, 7.30am to 6.00pm (excl. bank holidays)

Term time / All Year

All Year

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Partou Smileys Day Nursery & Pre-School

Last inspected 10 June 2025

Overall effectiveness
Good

What it's like to attend

Staff are very caring and nurturing, showering children with love, which helps children build strong bonds. Children are flourishing, with a curriculum covering all learning areas and a wide range of experiences. Behaviour is good, with staff acting as excellent role models, promoting kindness, turn-taking, and sharing.

Inspector highlights

  • Staff are very caring and nurturing, showering children with high levels of love.
  • Children are flourishing at the setting, with an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum.
  • Staff are excellent role models for children, actively encouraging them to take turns and share.
  • The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is good.
  • Staff use a range of methods to keep parents informed about their children's development, progress and support plans.

Areas to develop

  • 1enhance further the monitoring and continual development of staff with an aim to support them to raise their skills and practice to the highest possible level
  • 2support staff to improve the learning environment further, recognising the impact noise levels have on children's ability to fully engage with the learning experiences on offer
  • 3review and refine practice in order to maximise children's early language development
Inspection #10400201 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is good. Staff work well with other professionals and parents, identifying areas where children may require further support. This information is used well to help develop support plans for children ensuring they receive effective support and swift intervention.

Outdoor space

The inspectors observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning.

Google Reviews of Partou Smileys Day Nursery & Pre-School

4.3
(11 Google reviews)
Edward Butcher
9 months ago

I personally wouldn’t recommend this nursery. The management is poor and doesn’t have a grasp on the operations and are poor communicators. My child was frequently upset going, we assumed this was some form of separation anxiety, but instantly changed when going to school. There is a large turnover of staff, the place itself changed hands numerous times over 3 years. Generally the place feels dull, dingy and tired. I challenged the ratio of adults to children on numerous occasions, the last time when my child was bitten by another child that had additional needs. This child had already tried to bite other children and pulling hair, this wasn’t addressed by the staff resulting in an injury and wound to my child. The nursery then tried to defend this.

Read on Google
Lewis Johnson
8 months ago

I have never left a Google review but after reading the last review I was left feeling disappointed and angry. My daughter was also bitten really badly whilst under their care and it was dealt with terribly. The situation was apparently being looked into but their territory manager did not get back to me. Reading the last review there was clearly an issue and I feel very aggrieved it had not been dealt with and my daughter was subjected to this. When the nursery have been communicating with my wife recently their emails have been ignorant and rude (not regarding the above incident). The nursery has changed hands three times in as many years and I do think there have been some positives. But the staff turnover has been far too excessive and made it difficult for our youngest child to fully settle. There are some very caring and helpful members of staff at the nursery who we are and always will be very grateful to. But unfortunately I will not be using the nursery again.

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Sophie Warren
a year ago

My daughter has been attending smileys for 4 months now and I couldn’t be happier with the setting. She settled well and she has made strong bonds with the staff and leaders of the nursery. I feel confident that she is being well cared for by a group of staff who are experienced and who genuinely love being around children. I receive in depth daily feedback from the staff with lovely updates including photos of my child enjoying a wide range of activities. Having previously used a different setting for my older child this nursery is worlds apart and I regret not having put my eldest here. The nursery is clean, well organised and well managed. Special thank yous to the manager who is approachable and so enthusiastic about her nursery and to the staff in baby room who have gone above and beyond to provide my child with a safe and loving environment.

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Hayley Dray
a year ago

I feel very comfortable dropping my child off in smileys care, all the staff are consistent, kind and caring.

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Hannah Fitzpatrick
2 years ago

My son loves the nursery and never had any issues, would highly recommend

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Partou Smileys Day Nursery & Pre-School. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: November 2024

  • July 2025Good
  • June 2025Good
  • January 2025Requires improvement
  • November 2024Requires improvement

Frequently asked about Partou Smileys Day Nursery & Pre-School

About the setting

Partou Smileys Day Nursery & Pre-School registered in 2023. The setting employs 18 members of childcare staff, with 15 holding an early years qualification at level 2 or above. The setting is open Monday to Friday, all year round, from 7.30am until 6pm and offers funded early education places.

URN
2724772
Registered person
Partou UK Limited
Day care type
Full day care
Register
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Establishment type
Childcare on non-domestic premises

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This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more