St Mary's Playgroup
GoodTakes funded hours★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Leicester for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 08:00 to 14:00, 5 days a week. £8.00 an hour for 2 year olds, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2022. Open since 2014, with 26 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Term time only, 38 weeks a year, minimum 2 days a week.
| Age | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 year olds2y to 3y | £8.00per hour for children aged 2 year olds | |
| 3 years or over3y to 4y | £7.00per hour for children aged 3 years or over |
Funded hours
Free nursery education is available for: 2 year old children whose parents meet a set benefits and earnings criteria; All 3 and 4 year old children.
Worth knowing. Parents do not contribute towards this entitlement but may be charged by providers for additional services such as snacks, specific activities or extra childcare over the allocated 30 hours.
What childcare usually costs in Leicestershire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Leicestershire 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
LE3 3FTWhat 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, 9 June 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are excited to come into the playgroup and happily say 'good morning' to all staff members. They quickly immerse themselves in activities which are planned with their interests in mind. Children constantly interact with each other during their play. They are given the opportunity to use their existing knowledge to aid their games. For example, they mix 'salad' and pretend to pour 'cups of tea' ready to serve to staff.
Children are developing strong friendships. Older children show care and concern for younger children. They go over and stroke their hair for comfort when they are upset. Children play exceptionally well together and enjoy each other's company.
They use their imaginations when riding on tricycles and cars and pretend to visit the shops. Children spend long periods engrossed in a story they have created.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop the key-person system further to ensure that new starters are promptly allocated a key person to support their well-being n consider the deployment of staff during transition times to further support children's individual needs.
- 9 June 2022Good
- 18 March 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Mary's Playgroup
- 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
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 £8.00 an hour 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.