St John's Pre-School
GoodTakes funded hours★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Widnes for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 09:00 to 15:30, 5 days a week. £48.00 a day, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2022. Open since 2003, with 48 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Full day | Session | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | £48.00 | £22.00s (Half Day |
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £4.00 a session Lunch Session
Funded hours
2 and 3 year funded places are also available (15 and 30 hours).
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
WA8 6HAWhat 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, 14 September 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are greeted warmly on arrival and settle well into this welcoming preschool. The new staff team is building positive relationships with the children and families. Children's emotional well-being is high, and they show that they feel safe and secure. For example, they are confident to speak to the inspector and explain what they are doing. Children have access to an outdoor area where they enjoy using larger equipment and bikes. Children are increasingly confident to carry out self-care tasks, such as putting on painting aprons and washing their hands before snacks.
The setting provides a wide range of opportunities for children to explore, create and be curious. Children are motivated to learn, with older children keen to share what they know with other children. For example, explaining how to cut and curl a member of staff's hair in the 'hairdressers'. Children are well behaved; they understand the ebb and flow of the day, which helps them to feel safe. Children are polite and kind to one another.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- help staff to consider the impact of group sizes and changes in children's needs during activities, and adapt their teaching to ensure learning intentions are fully met n support staff in ensuring that those children who prefer to learn outdoors have daily opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills in their preferred learning environment.
- 14 September 2022Good
- 12 September 2017Good
- 5 October 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St John's Pre-School
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- Is £48.00 a day still the rate? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.