Christ Church School Playgroup
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Lancaster for children from birth to 5, open 08:30 to 16:00, 5 days a week. £5.50 an hour for 2 year olds, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2024. Open since 1993, with 18 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 year olds2y to 3y | £5.50£5.50 per hour for 2 year olds | |
| 3 and 4 year olds3y to 4y | £5.00£5.00 per hour for 3 and 4 year olds |
Funded hours
2 year funded children.
What childcare usually costs in Lancashire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Lancashire 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
LA1 3ESWhat 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, 9 February 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children happily enter this home-from-home setting, eager to start their day and explore the resources. They are warmly greeted by staff who meet them at the door. Staff talk to children and encourage them to share any news they may have with their friends. This helps children to settle and feel secure. The curriculum is well thought out and helps children to develop new skills and build on their overall development. Staff adapt activities to support the needs of younger and older children. The curriculum is ambitious for all children. It supports children to revisit concepts and have positive attitudes to learning. All children make good progress in preparation for school.
Staff are positive role models for children. They are deployed well throughout the setting and join in with children's play. They guide, support and encourage children as they play. For example, they talk with children about the different shapes they can see as they use moulds in the dough. Children's behaviour is supported well.
Staff give consistent messages so that children understand expectations. For example, staff play a special song which is a sign for children to work together and to tidy things away. Children's achievements are celebrated. For example, staff take photos of children's models and give lots of praise. This promotes children's confidence and levels of self-esteem.
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 explore and solve problems, in order to help develop their critical thinking skills n enhance partnerships with parents further and consistently support home learning, so that parents can complement children's learning at home.
- 9 February 2024Good
- 17 April 2018Good
- 27 September 2017Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Christ Church School Playgroup
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- Is £5.50 an hour still the rate? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? 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.