Midway Preschool
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Swadlincote for children from birth to 5, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 2022. Open since 2011, with 26 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 Derbyshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Derbyshire 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
DE11 7NEWhat 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, 31 March 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children appear happy and enthusiastic to learn. Children start their day dancing to music. They then join in carefully planned activities with their friends. Children enjoy listening to stories. They read about caterpillars and talk about the pictures they see. Children practise counting during the story. They copy staff by using their fingers to show how many caterpillars remain on each page. Staff help children to count accurately when they make mistakes. Children have lots of opportunities to practise what they have learned during their play. For example, they weigh balls of dough and pour water in containers to practise maths skills.
Children learn new words as they observe changes in the world around them.
Children talk about 'melting' as their 'warm' hands turn snow into water. They smile as they play and collect the snow in containers, laughing as the snow falls in their faces. Children remind each other how to keep safe. They explain that the floor will
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- simplify language and vocabulary to support younger or less-able children to develop their speech - provide a clear intention for group work, to enable all children to take part and maximise opportunities for learning.
- 31 March 2022Good
- 26 April 2016Good
- 25 June 2012Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Midway Preschool
- 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.