St Winefrides Playgroup
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Shepshed 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 January 2024. Open since 2002, with 49 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 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
LE12 9NUWhat 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 January 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle quickly at this welcoming playgroup, as staff provide cuddles and reassurance. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. For example, they confidently show visitors ice they have found in the garden. Children explain to visitors that water has frozen overnight. Children excitedly learn about the world around them as staff teach them about the concept of growth. Children find shoots in the soil, and staff explain that the rhubarb is beginning to grow back as they look at the tiny leaves together. Staff know children well and provide activities linked to their interests. For example, children delight in playing hide and seek with staff in the garden. They practise their large-muscle skills as they walk along the climbing frame and crawl through tunnels as staff try to find them.
Children develop self-care skills, such as fastening their own zip and putting fingers in their gloves. Staff sing songs to the children to keep their fingers and thumbs moving as children try to put their fingers in their gloves. Children listen to instructions and behave well. For example, they know to line up against the wall and wait for everyone to get ready before going outside.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the organisation of books to encourage children's independent use and enjoyment of books, to extend their literacy development n strengthen staff's skills in the delivery of the curriculum for language and communication for younger children.
- 9 January 2024Good
- 8 February 2018Good
- 18 September 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Winefrides Playgroup
- 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.