The Croft Pre-School

School preparation here includes a PE kit, practice changing clothes and visits between preschool and primary staff. The Croft Pre-School's Rising Fours programme gives that transition a practical shape, while its home at the Gutterscroft Centre in Haslington keeps the setting rooted in village life. Parents have a role in running it, too, through an elected committee.

At its March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good overall and found safeguarding effective. That judgement sits alongside two clear development priorities: training tied more closely to children's learning needs, including mathematics, and broader experiences of cultures and beliefs beyond their immediate community. Those are useful points against which to assess the learning offer.

The preschool has 30 places in total, and its August 2026 prospectus welcomes children aged two to four. Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon and full-day options. For families choosing a preschool before primary school, the combination of flexible session choice, parent involvement and a specific transition programme gives The Croft a clear identity.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes the day: children develop language, physical skills and relationships through play, with literacy, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world woven into their activities. It is the common framework for early-years provision. Here, conversations, storytelling, rhymes and role play give children opportunities to practise speaking and listening, while daily movement and fine-motor activities support coordination and early writing.

The routine moves between child-led play and time together in smaller or larger groups. Outdoor play, stories and phonics feature alongside rolling snack, so children have opportunities both to pursue their interests and to join shared activities. Practical mathematics uses resources to explore number, patterns, shapes and measurement. Art, movement, music and imaginative play provide other ways to express ideas.

Rising Fours adds a specific school-preparation strand on Tuesday afternoons for children starting primary school the following September. Phonics and early number work sit alongside indoor and outdoor PE; children bring a PE kit and practise getting changed themselves. The session is open to children already attending at least one other session at The Croft. Younger children continue with separately planned activities, rather than being folded into the school-preparation group.

Monday afternoons also include Rhythm Time, a session supported by a voluntary contribution. Its place in the weekly timetable gives families another consideration when selecting afternoons. Nature Walks add experiences beyond the preschool itself, although they should be understood as outings rather than a fixed weekly commitment.

Outdoor and Community Life

In March 2024, the premises were bright and spacious, and story-based play connected books with hands-on activity. After sharing Goldilocks and the Three Bears, children shaped dough into bedding for the story's characters, using tools and themed mats. The activity linked imaginative thinking with the hand movements needed for later writing. A pretend café gave children another setting for conversation and social play.

Community experiences had a practical purpose in March 2024. Children visited a bakery and post office, bought items and posted letters, making everyday transactions part of their learning. World Book Day brought dressing up and favourite stories into the preschool. These examples show how familiar places and books could become starting points for activities beyond a single area of learning.

Family participation also has a visible place in events: Mother's Day Stay & Play took place in 2026. That gives the parent partnership a concrete expression beyond routine messages and committee business.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who maintains an individual record of development and acts as a regular contact for parents. That gives families someone with a specific responsibility for understanding their child's needs and interests. Settling is handled with parents, recognising that some children settle quickly while others need longer; the emphasis is on responding to the individual child.

Tapestry, the digital learning journal, shares photographs, video clips and written observations with parents through secure access. Families can respond and contribute to the picture of their child's development. It makes the partnership more concrete: parents can see activities their child has taken part in and add information from home, rather than relying only on brief conversations.

The parent committee handles policies, fundraising, staffing matters and social events, while staff take responsibility for daily operations. Its election takes place at the autumn annual general meeting. For parents who want involvement beyond their own child's sessions, this offers a formal route into decisions about how the preschool runs.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff recognised additional needs, made timely referrals and worked with external professionals to tailor support, sharing resources and strategies with parents. Current arrangements include special-needs lead and deputy roles, early identification procedures and development plans drawn up with families and outside agencies where appropriate. The mechanisms matter more than a broad promise of inclusion: they establish how concerns can become agreed support.

Designated safeguarding lead and deputy roles sit alongside safer-recruitment procedures and regular safeguarding training. The preschool also participates in Operation Encompass, the police and education partnership through which information about police-attended domestic-abuse incidents involving children reaches the setting before the next school day. This is an information-sharing arrangement to help staff respond to a child's circumstances.

At rolling snack, children choose food and pour drinks; water remains accessible throughout the day, and lunch-club children bring a healthy packed lunch from home. Parents also supply nappies and wipes, replenishing preschool stock if it is used or paying a charge if they do not replace it.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Gutterscroft Centre, Haslington, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 5RJ. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, across 38 term-time weeks. This is a preschool timetable, so the school holidays remain a separate childcare consideration.

Four attendance windows are offered: a full day from 9am to 3pm; a morning from 9am to noon; a morning extended through Lunch Club to 12.30pm; and an afternoon from 12.30pm to 3pm. Lunch Club runs from noon to 12.30pm. Parents choose how many sessions their child attends, allowing a pattern built around mornings, afternoons or a longer day rather than a single compulsory weekly package.

Enquiries can be made by email to thecrofthaslington@gmail.com or by telephone on 07790 793 353. Preschool viewings can be arranged by email. The usual contract termination notice is one month, with payment due throughout that period even if the child does not attend; fees also remain payable for absence unless an alternative arrangement has been agreed.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered during term time: 15 hours of early education from the full term after a child's third birthday, up to 30 hours for eligible working parents of three- and four-year-olds, and funded places for eligible two-year-olds. Eligibility for the extended offer depends on government criteria and requires a parental application. Private paid hours are also offered, with payment normally due at the start of each half term and payment plans available.

For both funded and paid attendance, families provide packed lunches for Lunch Club and supply nappies and wipes. A voluntary half-term supplement and a voluntary contribution for children attending Rhythm Time are separate from the hourly fees. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation, so families can consider their chosen sessions and these contributions together.

Moving on to School

The preschool describes a partnership with The Dingle Primary School: Rising Fours activities are planned with its early-years team and usually include visits in both directions. This helps make the next setting and its staff more familiar. Attending The Croft does not guarantee a school place; families still use the local authority admissions process. Communication with other primary schools can also be supported when parents inform the preschool manager.

• Term-time timetable. The preschool opens for 38 weeks and closes at 3pm. Families needing holiday care or later afternoons will need arrangements that fit around those hours.
• School preparation has conditions. Rising Fours takes place on Tuesday afternoons, requires attendance at another session and includes changing for PE. At a viewing, discuss how this pattern would fit your child and which practical skills they would work on.
• Learning priorities. In March 2024, more targeted staff training, including mathematics, and broader learning about communities, faiths and traditions were development points. Ask for examples of how these areas are approached now.
• Packed lunches and personal supplies. Lunch Club requires food from home, and families supply nappies and wipes. Families managing allergies should confirm the current food-handling arrangements for snacks and packed lunches before joining.

The Croft suits families seeking term-time preschool through either shorter morning or afternoon sessions, or a full day ending at 3pm. Rising Fours gives school preparation substance, while Tapestry, the key-person arrangement and an elected parent committee provide different ways for families to stay involved.

Its March 2024 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, with specific learning priorities to explore rather than overlook. The strongest fit is for parents who value participation and practical preparation for primary school, and whose childcare needs match the preschool's term-time hours.