Whalley Pre School Playgroup
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Clitheroe 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 1993, with 25 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
BB7 9RHWhat 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, 27 February 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders provide an effective curriculum with the highest priority given to promoting children's personal, social and emotional development. All children, including those who have lower starting points than others, make exceptional progress in this area of learning. The environment is calm and children smile as they arrive, making a very confident start to their day. They benefit from a highly effective key-person system. As a result of the very strong bonds formed, children feel safe and staff have an expert understanding of their individual needs and personalities. This supports them to learn well.
Staff teach children to be independent right from the start. Children quickly learn to put on their coat and shoes and to manage their personal hygiene. Staff also promote children's social skills and behaviour exceptionally well. They specifically plan opportunities for children to participate in group activities, such as circle time.
Children swiftly learn how to sit with others in a group and to focus. This supports their learning well. For example, children demonstrate good listening and they delight in activities which promote their early understanding of letter sounds.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to focus on helping children think hard in conversations so they can extend and deepen their understanding.
- 27 February 2024Good
- 11 April 2018Good
- 26 September 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Whalley 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.