Wheelock Pre-School

Two activity rooms, a large hall and an outdoor play area give Wheelock Pre-School more than one space for children's play. Based at Hancock Hall in Wheelock, this parent-managed charity accepts children from two until school age and has capacity for 20 children. Its scale and committee structure will appeal to families who want a part in how their child's setting is run.

Ofsted rated the pre-school Good on 5 December 2024, while identifying two priorities: sharing children's next learning steps beyond their key group, and making staff development more closely address learning through play. Those are useful questions for families assessing how individual attention translates into everyday activities. Morning and afternoon sessions operate during term time, with Lunch Club connecting the two.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes the day through play and areas of learning including language, physical skills and personal development. Wheelock also follows Development Matters curriculum guidance. The activity rooms, hall and outside space provide different settings for that learning, rather than confining the day to one room.

In December 2024, practitioners used conversation to extend children's thinking, asking questions and introducing descriptive words as children handled materials. This gave language learning a practical setting: children could connect a new word with something they were exploring. Counting the children at a table and examining a triangle's sides brought early mathematics into shared activities.

Physical practice was equally concrete in December 2024. Children balanced on stepping stones and poured water into cups, combining larger movements with hand control. Staff also explained how to handle scissors and reminded children to move safely indoors. These examples connect independence with learning to judge what is safe.

The limitation concerned consistency between adults. In December 2024, staff understood the learning priorities for their own key children better than those of children outside that group. Training also needed a clearer connection to supporting learning during play. For parents, the important distinction is between having individual learning goals and ensuring that every practitioner can use them.

A key worker is allocated when a child starts. That person helps with settling, follows the child's development and adapts learning to individual needs; parents can discuss progress with them at any time. This gives families an identified adult for conversations about both care and learning.

At the December 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with SEND making good progress, supported by individual strategies, collaboration with parents and external professionals, and additional funding directed to the child's needs. In December 2024, staff also reassured upset children with cuddles and worked with parents to help children feel secure. Emotional support had a practical place in the day.

Communication extends beyond individual conversations. Newsletters carry information about events, fundraising and committee business, while an indoor noticeboard provides updates. In December 2024, parents received developmental updates and advice about healthy eating and language, helping them connect activities at home with those at pre-school.

Children can start while still wearing nappies: changing facilities are available, and parents supply nappies or pull-ups and wipes. Families apply sun cream before attendance, while the pre-school provides hats. These arrangements put some daily preparation with parents while allowing children to join before toilet training is complete.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Hancock Hall, Wheelock Methodist Church, Crewe Road, Wheelock, Sandbach, CW11 3RT. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email or by telephone on 01270 753763.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon; afternoons run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Attendance is during term time, five days a week. Lunch Club runs daily from noon to 12.30pm, allowing children to eat before, after or between sessions with staff assistance. It makes the timetable more adaptable than two entirely separate sessions.

Names go onto a waiting list, and sessions are allocated to the oldest children first. Extra sessions are requested through the supervisor. Absence does not bring a refund or replacement session, so a booked pattern carries a financial commitment even when a child misses a day.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded and privately paid attendance are offered. The Free Early Education Entitlement for three- and four-year-olds covers 15 hours a week over 38 weeks, alongside a 30-hour option for eligible families. Delivery is term time. A continuous six-hour arrangement including Lunch Club uses funding and ends at 3pm; choosing the additional half-hour and collecting at 3.30pm brings a separate charge.

Parents provide packed lunches with an ice pack; snacks include fruit and breadsticks, with milk or water to drink. Families supply nappies and wipes, apply sun cream before attendance, and are also asked to donate supplies including tissues and toilet roll. These responsibilities matter when comparing the practical cost and preparation involved in attendance.

Fees are invoiced at the beginning of each term and paid in advance, either monthly or for the term. They are non-refundable. The fees and funding information explains the structure; families should obtain a current written quotation for their chosen attendance pattern.

Parents also have a formal management role. The elected voluntary committee oversees finances, staff and policies, meets every two months, and holds its Annual General Meeting in September. Participation offers a direct way to contribute to decisions about the pre-school.

• Learning across key groups. The December 2024 improvement priorities concerned shared knowledge of children's learning goals and more targeted staff development. On a visit, ask how practitioners now use those goals when working with children outside their own key group.
• Term-time timetable. Morning and afternoon sessions, linked by Lunch Club, offer different attendance choices. Match the collection time carefully to the funded six-hour arrangement or the separately charged extension.
• Daily supplies and allergies. Packed lunches, nappies and wipes come from home, and allergies must be discussed with the supervisor. Families managing an allergy should confirm the current arrangements for both snacks and packed lunches.

Wheelock suits families seeking morning sessions, afternoon sessions or a connected term-time day, with an identified key worker and opportunities to take part in parent management. Its December 2024 assessment supports a positive judgement, tempered by specific questions about consistency in learning support. The hall, activity rooms and outside play area add practical breadth to a small pre-school's day.