Portico Kindergarten
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Ormskirk for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2023. Open since 2008, with 40 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 Lancashire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Lancashire 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
L39 6SFWhat 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, 15 November 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
A passionate and highly committed staff team cares for the children. Staff provide a fun and interesting curriculum and create a busy, exciting and nurturing environment for children. This ignites children's curiosity and thirst for learning.
Staff take the time to get to know the children. Parents say their children are eager to come to nursery to see the staff and their friends. Staff listen to children and plan activities around their interests. As a result, children are engrossed in the activities about rockets and the book 'Whatever Next!' The children talk about what they are doing and use exciting language such as 'zoom' and 'whoosh' to describe how the rockets move.
Children enjoy the opportunities to work collaboratively with their friends. For example, children offer advice and guidance as they build with cardboard boxes and recycled materials. They cheer in delight when they achieve their goal. Staff build secure bonds with children. This means children have a strong sense of belonging. For example, children go to staff for reassurance when they are unsettled. Overall, children learn to take turns and to share the resources. Staff support children to understand their own feelings and emotions. This builds children's confidence and helps them feel a sense of pride in their achievements.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to consistently implement the nursery's behaviour management strategies.
- 15 November 2023Good
- 19 December 2022Needs improvement
- 8 May 2017Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Portico Kindergarten
- 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.