Vicarage Road Playgroup
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Wigan 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 February 2024. Open since 2014, with 12 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 Wigan
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Wigan 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
WN2 5QXWhat 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, 7 February 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff help children to develop positive self-esteem and feel secure in offering their contributions in a group. For instance, children are confident to lead group singing sessions. Staff prepare children well for their move on to school. Children's days are well structured, and the consistent routines help to build their confidence.
Children wear their playgroup uniform with pride. This helps them to view playgroup as a step in their journey towards school. Children develop positive attitudes towards their play and learning. Staff help children to understand their expectations. They are quick to offer praise for children's achievements and step in swiftly to help them resolve frustrations. As a result, children behave well and begin to understand how their behaviour affects others.
Staff read to children often throughout the day, helping them learn to love books.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop more ways to introduce children to other communities and lifestyles to help them begin to understand more about the wider world n develop ways of engaging with parents to gather relevant information about children's achievements and experiences to support staff to plan accurately for children's learning.
- 7 February 2024Good
- 17 May 2018Good
- 14 June 2017Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Vicarage Road 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.