Hillview Under Five's Pre-School Playgroup
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Runcorn 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 September 2023. Open since 1998, with 22 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 Halton
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Halton 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
WA7 3HBWhat 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, 20 September 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff provide interesting activities, which capture children's imaginations and motivate them to learn. Children draw on their prior knowledge and take on the role of a travel agent. They pretend to book a flight for their friends, who wish to travel away on holiday. Staff facilitate this imaginative play by providing additional resources for children to enhance their play. Children pretend to travel on an aeroplane and act out the role of cabin crew, serving snacks as the aircraft departs.
Children are creative and artistic. They show they are confident performing for others.
Staff encourage children to persist as they use paint sticks to make marks. Children take their time to make precise prints and start to form letters using pencils. This supports the development of the skills children need for later learning, such as writing, as they increase fine motor strength and dexterity.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- focus more precisely on individual children's next steps in learning - help all parents to know what children are learning, so they can continue to build on this learning at home n include children's home languages in the curriculum to further develop their communication and language skills.
- 20 September 2023Good
- 17 October 2019Good
- 11 January 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Hillview Under Five's Pre-School 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.