Upton St Mary's Pre-School Playgroup.
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Upton for children from birth to 5, open 09:15 to 12:15, 4 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2025. Open since 1970, with 30 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 Wirral
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Wirral 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
CH49 6JZWhat 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, 31 January 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff welcome children into this warm and friendly setting. They take time to get to know children and families. Staff give lots of reassurance for children who are new to the setting. As a result, staff build positive relationships with them. Children quickly settle and choose from a range of activities on offer, which staff know they are interested in. For example, children enjoy filling and emptying containers in the sand, while others share stories with staff. This helps children to feel happy, safe and secure.
Children thoroughly enjoy music and movement sessions. They beam as they listen to staff play familiar songs on the piano. For example, children enthusiastically
jump up and down as they sing 'five cheeky monkeys'. Staff support children to count the fingers on their hands to represent the monkeys. This supports children's emerging counting skills and mathematical language.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the organisation of larger-group activities to ensure that they are meaningful for all children and support high levels of engagement.
- 31 January 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 5 March 2019Good
- 8 March 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Upton St Mary's 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.