Lostock Tiny Tots Pre School

The custom-built Discovery Den gives Lostock Tiny Tots Pre School a recognisable centrepiece: an outdoor space for exploration and play with no prescribed outcome. Alongside a large garden and a quiet sensory room, it gives children different ways to spend their time, from active discovery to gentler sensory experiences.

This preschool operates at The Vicarage on Station Road in Lostock Gralam, Northwich, with 44 places in total. Children aged 18 months to 5 years are welcomed. At its April 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective, while identifying school preparation through routines as the area needing improvement.

Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside Breakfast club and Late stay club, with attendance during term time. That makes the practical choice about both the length of the day and how childcare fits around school holidays.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. Through play, activities and interactions with staff, children build skills and understanding.

In April 2022, staff used children's existing knowledge and interests to shape what came next. Assessment concentrated on a small group each week, allowing closer attention to individual learning. An interest in stories, for example, led to activities about putting a narrative in order. The useful point for parents is the connection between observation and the next activity: children's interests became starting points for teaching.

Choice was a substantial part of the day in April 2022. Children could move between indoor and outdoor play, while stories and physical education activities were optional. This gave them scope to make decisions, but it also created the main improvement point: older children needed more experience of participating in set routines before starting school.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Discovery Den supports open-ended exploration within the outdoor play area. The garden is used across different weather conditions, so outdoor activity is part of the nursery's approach rather than an occasional addition. Its value is practical: children have space to explore beyond the indoor environment.

In April 2022, rope ladder swings gave children physical challenges that sometimes required repeated attempts and help from friends. A tyre swing also became a shared activity, with children helping one another, pushing and exchanging turns. These examples connect physical play with persistence and cooperation.

Living things provided another strand of learning in April 2022. Visiting animals gave children opportunities to observe and touch them, while caring for caterpillars introduced the changes involved in becoming butterflies. Discoveries in the bug hotel prompted conversations with staff about identifying insects. These were concrete starting points for learning about the natural world.

FREE Stay & Play Session for Under 3’s! runs on Tuesdays from 10am to 11am, with drinks and snacks included. It offers younger children a separate opportunity to play and socialise at the preschool.

Relationships and Communication

A sensory room provides a quieter setting for experiences that stimulate or relax the senses. It adds a different kind of space alongside the active outdoor area, giving the nursery's environment more than one pace.

The current team structure includes a Safeguarding Lead, a SENDco and a practitioner with SEN Support responsibilities. These are useful points of responsibility for families discussing a child's care or additional needs. Parents also work with the preschool on individual development, rather than communication being confined to practical arrangements.

At the April 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that targeted activities supported good progress, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. In April 2022, staff also shared approaches to supporting behaviour with parents, helping adults use consistent responses across home and nursery.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In April 2022, staff responded to children needing comfort with reassurance and cuddles, and encouraged them to keep trying when an activity proved difficult. Achievements were acknowledged. That gives the dated account of care a clear emphasis: emotional support accompanied children's efforts to become more independent.

Allergy supervision in April 2022 combined adult oversight with opportunities for children to learn about managing their own needs. Staff also communicated when taking children indoors to use the toilet, so colleagues knew where they were. These are inspection-time examples of day-to-day care, rather than assumptions about today's arrangements.

Sessions and Attendance

Attendance is term time only. Morning session runs from 9am to noon, and Afternoon session from noon to 3pm. Breakfast club runs from 8am to 9am; Late stay club begins at 3pm, with the closing time extended to 5pm from September 2025.

These patterns serve different needs. A morning or afternoon provides a shorter block of childcare, while the clubs add time around the main sessions. The term-time calendar remains an important part of that choice for families planning care throughout the year.

Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form. Visits can also be arranged through those routes.

Getting There

The address is The Vicarage, Station Road, Lostock Gralam, Northwich, CW9 7PS. This is the preschool's base for both its regular attendance sessions and the under-three Stay & Play offer.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for children aged 2, 3 and 4. Families should obtain a current written quotation for their chosen attendance pattern so that the overall cost is clear.

Drinks and snacks are included in the under-three Stay & Play session. That inclusion belongs to this particular activity and should be read separately from the arrangements for regular childcare.

• Preparation for school. In April 2022, older children had too little experience of following set routines because participation in activities was optional. On a visit, ask how the preschool now balances children's choices with shared routines before Reception.
• Term-time attendance. Morning and afternoon sessions, with clubs around them, operate during term time. Families needing childcare during school holidays should weigh that calendar against their working pattern.
• The complete childcare cost. Funded childcare for ages 2, 3 and 4 sits alongside several attendance patterns. Ask for one written breakdown covering your intended sessions, meals, consumables and any additional charges.
• Allergy arrangements. Adult supervision of children with allergies was part of care in April 2022. Families affected by allergies should confirm the current arrangements for their child's needs during a visit.

Lostock Tiny Tots Pre School suits families seeking morning or afternoon attendance during term time, with Breakfast club and Late stay club around the main sessions. The Discovery Den, garden and sensory room give its environment clear character, while the April 2022 examples show how exploration could lead into learning, cooperation and independence.

The balance between freedom and preparation for school deserves attention. Choice had real value in children's day, but older children also needed more practice with shared routines. For families attracted by outdoor exploration and shorter session patterns, that is the most useful point to discuss on a visit.