Boothstown Playgroup
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Manchester for children from birth to 5, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2023. Open since 2011, with 34 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Salford
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Salford from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
M28 1JFWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 10 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enthusiastically arrive at the playgroup, eager to start their day. They receive a warm welcome from friendly staff, who know the children and their families well. Children show that they feel safe and secure at playgroup as they confidently choose activities that staff plan, based on children's interests. The children seek out their friends and show excitement as they play and explore. They show good independence skills. For example, they confidently change into princess dresses and concentrate intently while using scissors to cut paper. The children are developing the skills required for the next stage in their learning.
Staff are positive role models and reinforce their expectations of children's behaviour well. They use a fair and gentle approach. For example, staff remind children to use walking feet when inside. Children behave well. They follow the playgroup routine well, and children can be seen to be sharing and taking turns.
Children develop good physical skills. For example, they enjoy exploring play dough, and squeeze and roll the dough. They wait patiently as they share the different tools that they use to cut and mould shapes. Staff promote a positive attitude to health. For example, they remind children of the importance of washing their hands before mealtimes. Furthermore, children take part in yoga activities, showing good control and coordination. This helps to create a calm and positive environment in which children thrive.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide children with more time to respond to questions and think through their ideas to extend their learning even further n enhance the supervision of staff and provide more-specific, tailored support to enable all staff to raise the quality of their teaching even higher.
- 10 January 2023Good
- 24 April 2017Good
- 31 March 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Boothstown Playgroup
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.