Lostock Preschool

A changing Play Room in the upper hall of Lostock Parish Centre gives Lostock Preschool its character: themed play indoors, sensory equipment and an outdoor area used most days. This is preschool provision for children aged 2 to 5, with capacity for 40 children in total. The setting is in Lostock, Bolton, and operates during term time.

At its September 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), made good progress. The main improvement point was consistency: some group activities and transitions demanded too much waiting, and children's attention drifted. That distinction matters. The activities themselves offered plenty to do, but their organisation sometimes interrupted engagement.

Rooms and Ages

The large Play Room has themed learning areas changed daily, with role play, books, messy activities and water play giving children different ways to explore. Equipment is replaced and rotated, including hired resources selected to match current topics. Specialist sensory equipment gives children another way to explore through play.

The upper-hall setting has an outdoor play area equipped for active play and used most days. Indoor themes can change frequently, while outdoor time provides a different kind of movement and exploration. The whole-setting capacity of 40 should be understood as a total, rather than the number attending any particular activity.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, structured play gives that framework a practical shape: children explore pretend shops, kitchens and doctors' settings, alongside books, water and messy materials. These resources offer opportunities to communicate, make choices and practise familiar situations through play.

In September 2024, children used a pom-pom voting activity to select a story. Their choices therefore had a visible effect on what the group read. Daily singing and reading featured too, with animal noises used in a matching activity before a song. Staff introduced descriptive vocabulary during imaginative play, connecting new words to what children were doing.

Physical activity had concrete equipment behind it. In September 2024, children balanced on stepping stones, used a climbing frame and practised striking a ball with a bat. Staff also demonstrated how walkie-talkies worked when children were unsure, giving them another attempt at communicating with friends. These examples show the breadth of the day more clearly than a general promise of learning through play.

Relationships were built into everyday routines in September 2024. Children could choose a greeting from their key person, and a welcome song accompanied placing their photograph on a welcome tree. Children helped friends find their photographs. The routine gave each child a recognisable place in the group and made participation something they could share.

For children with SEND, staff worked with families and external professionals in September 2024, using interventions matched to individual next steps. Parents also had regular opportunities to meet their child's key person. Interactive sessions centred on favourite stories, with ideas and books to take home, connected preschool activities with family life.

Snack preparation offered practical independence in September 2024: children selected fruit or crumpets, cut fruit, spread butter and poured water or milk into open cups. Food was also an activity in which children could practise handling utensils and making decisions. These are examples from that inspection period, rather than a description of the current menu.

Sessions and Attendance

Lostock Preschool operates at Lostock Parish Centre, Tempest Road, Lostock, Bolton BL6 4EL. It is open Monday to Friday during term time, with opening hours of 8.45am to 4pm; school holidays are closures. Childcare is offered on a session basis, so the opening window should not be treated as a description of an individual booking.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 07969 488712. Parents are welcome to visit. The preschool serves children aged 2 to 5, making its age range relevant both to families starting preschool and those planning care before school.

Getting There

Off-road parking is provided in car parks beside and behind the parish centre. This gives families a parking option on the premises when bringing children to the upper-hall preschool.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible children can receive up to 30 funded hours a week, with funding information covering two-year-olds and children aged 3 to 4. Provision is term-time only, so families need to plan school-holiday care separately.

Children using funded hours are not required to purchase additional hours, and there are no top-up charges for those hours. Extra hours can be chosen, and Tax Free Childcare is accepted. The distinction is useful for parents who want funded attendance rather than a booking tied to additional paid childcare.

• Group time and transitions. In September 2024, prolonged sitting and the organisation of moving outdoors sometimes interrupted children's attention. On a visit, ask how group activities and transitions now keep children involved.
• Term-time care. The preschool closes during school holidays and its opening day ends at 4pm. Families needing care beyond those boundaries will need an arrangement that fits alongside it.
• Funded attendance. Eligible children can use funded hours without buying extra hours. When discussing a booking, ask how the intended sessions fit the entitlement and what arrangements apply to meals and non-food consumables.

Lostock Preschool suits families seeking term-time preschool for a child aged 2 to 5, especially those who value changing play themes, sensory resources and outdoor activity. Its funded-hours policy also suits eligible families who want to avoid a requirement to buy additional childcare.

The September 2024 picture combines practical opportunities for choice and independence with a specific weakness in keeping group learning consistently engaging. The useful decision is whether its session-based attendance, holiday closures and approach to group activities fit your child and family routine.