Colwich Playgroup
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Stafford for children from birth to 8+, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2023. Open since 2012, with 24 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 Staffordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Staffordshire 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
ST17 0XDWhat 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, 18 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Upon arrival, children are greeted by staff who ask how they are. Children are eager to come in to see their friends and they happily engage in the activities available, such as play dough and the role-play area. Staff encourage positive attitudes through talking about the setting's rules during registration, which encourages children to understand and manage risks independently.
Before snack times, children learn about good hygiene as they take turns to wash their hands. They make choices about what they want to eat and drink from a range of healthy snacks, such as blueberries and strawberries. Staff sit with the children and follow their conversation. As the children talk about snow, staff skilfully build in teaching by asking how and why questions.
Throughout the day, children confidently access a wide range of resources. Staff use the children's choices as an opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations, which promotes good communication and language skills. Staff also build adultdirected activities into the daily routine that target children's specific next steps in learning. This ensures all children make good progress in the seven areas of learning.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to provide more challenge in activities so that older children are fully engaged in learning and make even better progress.
- 18 January 2023Good
- 22 May 2017Good
- 11 October 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Colwich 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.