Thornton Pre-School Playgroup
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Thornton-Cleveleys for children from birth to 5, open 08:45 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2024. Open since 2003, with 26 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
FY5 5BJWhat 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, 2 October 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff support children to make progress in their learning and to prepare for their move on to school at the fun and lively pre-school. Children make friends and develop their independence skills with support from sensitive and caring staff.
Children lead their own play and self-select from lots of resources in the bright indoor areas. They benefit from outdoor play in most weathers in the outside space. Pre-school also has access to the school playground and fields where children can run around in the fresh air and develop their large muscles and stamina.
Staff teach children how to keep themselves safe. For instance, a visit from the coastguard gives children water safety knowledge. Staff weave this into the familiar
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- clarify intents for children's learning and use these intents to promote specific learning objectives to ensure that all children make the best possible progress n focus staff training on the areas that will help them to promote children's learning to the highest level.
- 2 October 2024Good
- 20 November 2018Good
- 19 October 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Thornton Pre-School 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.