Whirley Pre School Group

A church hall with a garden, a mud kitchen and space for children to choose their own play gives Whirley Pre School Group its character. Based inside Broken Cross Methodist Church in Macclesfield, this charity-run pre-school combines a shared indoor space with an outdoor area children can use freely during the day. Children can choose resources and move freely between themed areas in the hall.

At its February 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective, although activities needed better adaptation for the youngest children. That qualification matters for families starting at two: an appealing outdoor environment does not answer every question about how learning is pitched.

Children are welcomed from two until school age, and the setting has 24 places in total. Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon and back-to-back sessions, subject to a morning-only rule for the youngest starters.

Learning and Activities

The large church hall is arranged into themed areas, with resources within children's reach. Children can move between those areas and select what interests them. This makes choice a practical part of the day: materials are accessible rather than dependent on an adult handing them out.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care; here, play, conversation and physical exploration give those requirements everyday form. The setting is moving towards more child-led learning, while retaining adult-directed activities to address gaps staff identify. Children therefore have room to pursue an interest alongside activities selected by practitioners.

In February 2025, story sessions involved animated reading and soft toys that helped newer children explore feelings. Older children connected emotional vocabulary with ideas they already knew, including colours and feeling calm. Makaton signing was also being used to support speech development. These are concrete ways of bringing communication into play rather than relying solely on children answering questions.

The youngest children's experience needs a closer look. In February 2025, some activities demanded more than their attention spans could sustain, and they sometimes disengaged. The improvement requirement was to adapt the curriculum more carefully to their developmental stage. For a family choosing a first preschool experience, the suitability of an activity matters as much as the resources used to deliver it.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outside, the garden includes a sandpit, mud kitchen, climbing frame and home-made water wall. Children can move between the hall and the enclosed outdoor space, giving digging, climbing and water play a place alongside indoor activities. Planting and harvesting fruit and vegetables adds another practical connection: children later eat what they have grown at snack time.

In February 2025, children steered tricycles around obstacles and other children, and took turns using a see-saw. Those examples show how outdoor play brought movement and social negotiation together. It was active play with decisions to make, rather than simply time outside.

Community involvement also reaches beyond the garden. The pre-school holds an Easter fair, and fundraising stalls also feature at Whirley Primary School's Christmas and Summer fairs. These links give families ways to participate in the setting's life beyond their child's sessions.

Relationships begin with getting to know the family as well as the child. In February 2025, staff spent time establishing those connections when children started, and children settled readily and formed attachments to practitioners. Stories about feelings gave newer starters a shared way to express emotions while becoming familiar with the setting.

Behaviour was supported through consistent messages in February 2025. Children showed consideration for friends, used good manners and became absorbed in shared play. The useful detail is the connection between adult guidance and children's interactions: expectations were reinforced through ordinary moments in the day.

Links with external professionals and local schools were part of the support arrangements in February 2025. Preparation for moving on included visits, conversations and trips to see school plays, helping children become familiar with the next stage. These are transition experiences rather than an admissions advantage.

The current team offers individually tailored support, while a committee of parents and community members oversees finances, staffing and future planning. Trustees usually meet each half term, and a committee is elected at the October annual meeting. This gives parents a route into governance as well as the option to help with fundraising.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Broken Cross Methodist Church, Whirley Road, Macclesfield, SK10 3JR. Sessions run Monday to Friday: mornings are 9.15am to 12.15pm, and afternoons are 12.15pm to 3.15pm. A full day consists of consecutive sessions, and the minimum booking is two sessions each week.

Until children reach two and a half, attendance is morning-only. That is an important limit for parents planning care around work: the full-day option applies only once a child has passed that age threshold. The pre-school operates for 38 weeks each year, so its attendance pattern follows term time rather than providing year-round care.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the universal 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds from the term after their third birthday, qualifying two-year-old funding, and working-parent funding of up to 30 hours. Although the working-parent entitlement covers children above nine months, entry here remains from two. Funding is delivered across 38 weeks and can be applied to any session. When funding is split between settings and covers only part of a session, the remaining hours are charged proportionately.

Families supply a packed lunch for back-to-back attendance, and a suggested contribution supports healthy snacks, including seasonal fruit. The contribution is not mandatory, including where sessions are funded, and there are no further mandatory fees. Current prices come in the pre-school's written quotation; its admissions and funding page explains the charging structure.

Uniform is optional, with embroidered clothing and pre-loved items offered for families who want them. Ordinary clothes are welcome, which keeps the practical requirements simple.

• Starting at two. Children under two and a half attend mornings only, and the February 2025 improvement requirement concerned activities for the youngest children. At a visit, ask how learning is now adapted for new two-year-old starters.
• Term-time care. Attendance covers 38 weeks, with a minimum of two sessions weekly. Families needing care through school holidays should weigh that calendar alongside the session choices.
• Lunch and snacks. Back-to-back sessions require a packed lunch, while the snack contribution is suggested rather than mandatory. Lunch preparation remains part of the family's daily routine.
• Community participation. Fundraising and donations support this charity-run setting, and parents can contribute through events or committee involvement. That participation may appeal to families who want an active connection with their child's pre-school.

Whirley suits families seeking morning-only attendance, afternoon sessions or a back-to-back day within a term-time calendar, with the youngest starters restricted to mornings. Its strongest practical features are the freely accessible garden, child-level resources and opportunities to grow food for snacks. Community fundraising adds a clear sense of shared responsibility.

The February 2025 concern about younger children's activities deserves attention alongside those strengths. For parents comfortable with the calendar and packed-lunch arrangement, this is a pre-school whose appeal rests on everyday choice, outdoor play and family involvement.