Crumpsall Park Playgroup
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Manchester 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 March 2023. Open since 2004, with 20 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 Manchester
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Manchester 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
M8 5SAWhat 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, 17 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children engage in play as soon as they arrive at the playgroup. They greet staff with hugs, affectionately calling them 'aunties'. Children develop a strong sense of belonging at this homely and welcoming playgroup. They settle quickly, and staff kindly support those who are new. Children are enthusiastic learners and they are eager to attend every day to see staff and their friends. They animatedly join in with actions and sing along to their favourite rhymes. Children learn to recognise how exercise impacts on their bodies. For example, one child announces 'phew', as they mop their brow with the back of their hand after moving about energetically.
Children have opportunities to learn in a calm and nurturing atmosphere. Caring staff support children well and have high expectations for every child's emotional development. For example, in the 'Sensory Room', children learn about various emotions and talk about how they are feeling. Staff provide props such as 'Emotion
Spoons', so that children can vocalise how they feel to others. Children know when they are feeling happy. They give their friends a hug and tell them 'I love you'.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- target professional development opportunities with greater precision, to help raise the quality of education to the very highest level n strengthen the procedures for hygiene practices, with particular regard to ensuring children always wash their hands after blowing their noses.
- 17 March 2023Good
- 13 September 2017Good
- 4 May 2017Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Crumpsall Park 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.