Manthorpe Pre-School Playgroup
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Grantham for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 16:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2022. Open since 1992, with 32 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 Lincolnshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Lincolnshire 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
NG31 8NQWhat 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, 25 January 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are enthusiastic learners who love coming to the homely environment created by staff. Children's interests and happiness are at the heart of every experience staff plan, capturing children's attention. Children develop secure relationships with staff and other children. This positively impacts on children's emotional development and well-being and ensures they feel safe.
Children acquire a breadth of skills and knowledge and make choices from a range of fully accessible resources. Children use their keen imagination while developing their hand muscles. For example, children show determination when chopping up different vegetables, making vegetable soup at their restaurant. They are proud of what makes them unique as they discuss that some of them are vegan.
Children are curious and independent. They share their ideas while exploring a range of physical opportunities. For example, children decide they want to go down the slide faster. The children discuss different ways they could speed up. Supported by staff, they try sitting on a mat. The children confidently tell the inspector their idea worked 'super well' and laugh as they slide much faster. Children adhere to staff's consistent boundaries and behave exceptionally well. Older children remind younger children they must wash their hands before snack time. Children are very courteous to others and consistently use their manners. Children hold the door for their friends and say 'excuse me' when they have something to tell staff.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- differentiate further when planning adult-led activities, ensuring they provide suitable challenge for children and fully support all children's developmental needs n strengthen the use of daily routines to further develop children's understanding of staff's expectations, to reduce the amount of time children spend not being occupied.
- 25 January 2022Good
- 16 July 2015Outstanding
- 4 July 2011Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Manthorpe 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.