Welcome to Little Explorers Heywood Hall Nursery

Great nurseries are created by great people.

Our experienced Little Explorers team is passionate about giving every child the care, encouragement and opportunities they need to flourish.

Many of our practitioners have been part of Little Explorers for a number of years, providing the familiar faces and continuity our existing Swinton families know, while our growing team will allow us to welcome many more local children to Heywood Hall.

Our practitioners receive ongoing training and work together to create a happy, caring and stimulating environment where every child is treated as an individual.

Meet Heywood Hall

A Very Special Place

Following an extensive restoration, we've transformed historic Grade II listed Heywood Hall into a wonderful new Little Explorers nursery, combining the character of this much-loved local building with inspiring environments created specifically for young children.

Heywood Hall has given us a rare opportunity to create a nursery environment around the needs of children from the outset.

Our spacious nursery includes dedicated areas for different ages and stages of development, allowing children to explore in environments designed specifically for them.

Large character-filled rooms provide space for play, creativity, quiet time and learning, while our outdoor areas encourage the free-flow outdoor play that is such an important part of the Little Explorers approach.

Children also enjoy freshly prepared nutritious meals and snacks as part of their nursery day.

Most importantly, Heywood Hall doesn't feel like an institution – it feels like somewhere children can explore, discover and belong.

Under 2s – Baby Room

Our beautiful ground-floor Baby Room provides a calm, nurturing environment for up to 15 of our youngest Little Explorers.The spacious room has been carefully designed around babies' first experiences of nursery, with cosy areas, natural resources and plenty of safe floor space for crawling, exploring, playing and those important first steps.Being a smaller room allows our practitioners to work closely with families and follow each baby's individual routines, including sleep, meals and developmental needs.The Baby Room also has direct access to its own secure, enclosed baby garden, giving our youngest children a dedicated outdoor space where they can enjoy fresh air, sensory experiences and outdoor exploration throughout their nursery day.

Toddlers – 2 to 3 Years

Our beautiful upstairs Toddler Room provides a spacious and stimulating environment for up to 26 children aged 2 to 3 years.Set beneath Heywood Hall's magnificent original timber roof, the room combines the character of this historic building with an environment designed specifically for curious and increasingly independent toddlers.Low-level resources allow children to make their own choices, explore their interests and develop confidence through play, while cosy areas provide quieter spaces for stories and relaxation.The large windows offer wonderful views over our outdoor play area, helping children remain connected with what's happening outside and bringing plenty of natural light into this very special room.At this important stage of development, our practitioners support children's rapidly developing language, physical skills, friendships and independence while giving them plenty of opportunities to explore, experiment and – most importantly – have fun.

Pre-School – 3 Years and Above

Our spectacular Pre-School Room is the largest of Heywood Hall's learning spaces, providing a bright and inspiring environment for up to 52 children aged 3 years and above.The magnificent vaulted ceiling, original exposed timbers and rooflights make this a truly unique nursery environment, while the generous floor space allows us to create distinct areas for imaginative play, construction, creativity, stories, investigation and quieter activities.Resources are positioned at children's level, encouraging them to make choices, follow their own interests and develop the independence and confidence that will become increasingly important as they prepare for school.The room also benefits from its own purpose-built children's toilets, allowing our pre-schoolers to develop greater independence as part of their everyday routine.Above all, it's a space designed to let children's curiosity lead the way – somewhere our oldest Little Explorers have the freedom to play, discover, learn and grow.

Outdoor Play & Exploration

Outdoor play is at the heart of life at Little Explorers, and Heywood Hall has an exceptional outdoor environment for children to discover.Our large, secluded garden is surrounded by mature trees and established planting, creating a wonderfully natural space where children have the freedom to run, explore, investigate and use their imaginations.Winding pathways lead children around the garden, with opportunities for climbing and physical challenges, a tunnel to explore, our sand shed and a large covered outdoor classroom where learning and play can continue outside whatever the weather.Rather than simply being a playground, we've created an outdoor environment that encourages children to make their own discoveries, take appropriate risks, develop their physical confidence and experience the changing seasons and natural world around them.With views towards neighbouring St Augustine's Church and School, and Heywood Hall itself forming the backdrop, it's a secluded and inspiring setting that feels a world away from the busy roads beyond.For our Little Explorers, the outdoors isn't somewhere we simply visit during the nursery day – it's another place to learn, play and explore.

Learning Through Exploration

Children learn best when they are interested, involved and having fun.

At Heywood Hall our days combine child-led exploration with carefully planned experiences based around children's interests and individual stages of development.

Children have opportunities for creative play, stories and language, music and movement, physical activity, messy play, construction, imaginative play and plenty of outdoor exploration.

Our practitioners observe what fascinates each child and use those interests to introduce new experiences, challenges and learning.

There is always something to discover at Little Explorers.