St Vincents Preschool Playgroup
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Knutsford for from 2 years up to school age, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. £7.00 a session for all children, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2022. Open since 1996, with 30 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Minimum 2 days a week.
| Age | Session | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3birth to 3y | £17.00Sessions not funded | |
| Over 33y to 5y | £16.00Sessions not funded | |
| All children | £7.00Lunch, 1.2 hrs |
What a funded hour still costs
Funded hours cover the childcare. These are charged alongside them.
- £4.00 a session Voluntary Additional service chargeper funded session
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
15 hours universal hours the term after their child turns 3, extended 15 hours entitlement, and from April 2024 15 hours per week for 2 year olds increasing to 30 hours per week by September 2025.
Worth knowing. Voluntary contribution of £4.00 per funded session requested; without this additional activities would be scaled back.
What childcare usually costs in Cheshire East
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Cheshire East 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
WA16 8ALWhat 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, 17 March 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children get a wonderful start to their education at this pre-school. They are happy and settled in the safe environment. Changes due to COVID-19 mean that parents no longer routinely enter the pre-school building. This does not hinder children's confidence when they arrive. They are keen and eager to immerse themselves in play. Children have lovely relationships with staff and with their friends. They have learned about the importance of sharing, turn taking and being kind. Children understand the rules and boundaries and what is expected of them. Their excellent behaviour contributes to the calm environment.
Physical development is a real strength at the pre-school. Children have lots of opportunities to exercise their large muscles in the outdoor area. They develop good balance and coordination as they carefully navigate the balance beams independently. Staff understand that supporting children's large-muscle development in turn helps to strengthen their smaller muscles. This prepares children for the next stage in their learning, such as early writing.
Children show good levels of independence. They make choices at snack time, pour their own drinks and wash their own hands. Children are quickly developing important skills they need for school.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- sharpen the intent of the curriculum so that it focuses more specifically on what children need to learn next n provide staff with accurate feedback to help them to raise the quality of education to the highest level.
- 17 March 2022Good
- 4 November 2015Outstanding
- 11 January 2012Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Vincents Preschool Playgroup
- 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 £7.00 a session 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.