Wheelock Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Sandbach for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 December 2024. Open since 1987, with 20 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 Cheshire East
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Cheshire East 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
CW11 3RTWhat 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, 5 December 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
All children, particularly children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND), progress well at this pre-school. Staff provide an inclusive environment that nurtures children's interests. As a result, children eagerly enter the pre-school with big smiles and are ready to play. Staff form strong bonds with children through their positive interactions with them. Children show they feel safe. Staff prioritise supporting children's personal, social and emotional development. For example, staff work closely with parents to ensure children feel secure in the preschool. In addition, on the rare occasion when children are feeling sad, they offer cuddles for reassurance. This supports children's emotional well-being.
Staff set high expectations for children. They role model good manners and gently talk to children about the rules of the pre-school. Children are beginning to understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, staff support children to manage their own safety. They guide children on how to hold scissors carefully and remind them to walk indoors so they do not hurt themselves. Children's behaviour is exemplary. They are kind and respectful towards others and their environment.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to identify next steps in learning for all children and incorporate these into learning experiences to help to build consistently on children's existing skills n focus staff's professional development more sharply on enhancing their skills to support all children's learning in play.
- 5 December 2024Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 5 February 2019Good
- 12 July 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Wheelock Pre-School
- 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.