Oldfield Pre-school

A mud kitchen made by a grandparent and access to Oldfield Primary School’s forest school area give Oldfield Pre-school a practical, outdoor character. This independent, committee-run charity sits within the primary school grounds in Vicars Cross, Chester. Community outings take children to the library and local parks, extending their experiences beyond the playground.

At its March 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good, found safeguarding effective and judged that children, including those with gaps in their learning, were progressing well. That is a dated judgement, rather than an assurance about practice today. A later regulatory intervention in March 2026 makes supervision an important consideration for families.

There are 24 places in total, and children can start at the beginning of the term in which they turn three. Attendance is term-time only, with morning, afternoon, core-day and extended-day patterns.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play, with attention to children’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development. Staff follow children’s interests when choosing learning opportunities. The practical implication is that play supplies the starting point for learning, rather than being a break from it.

In March 2023, creative activities involved practising scissor use and recognising letters from children’s names. Adults offered ideas as children worked, making familiar craft tasks opportunities to develop coordination and early literacy. Stories, songs and conversations about pictures also featured in that month’s account of the day. Staff introduced descriptive vocabulary while children selected materials for their creations, connecting new words to something they were doing.

Physical activity had a similarly concrete shape in March 2023: children rode and steered bikes, while hoops supported movement involving their arms and bodies. These examples help explain the learning offer more clearly than a curriculum label alone. They are examples from that period, rather than a current activity timetable.

Outdoor and Community Life

The playground has an extension containing a mud kitchen, designed, built and donated by a grandparent. Oldfield Primary School and Chester Bluecoat Charity helped make the outdoor extension possible, alongside fundraising by preschool families and the wider community. This is a physical resource with a local connection behind it.

Access to the primary school’s forest school area gives children another place to explore the natural world. It is access to an outdoor area, rather than a claim about a separate Forest School programme. Trips to the library and local parks add community experiences to the preschool day; they also give children places and encounters to talk about beyond their own setting.

In March 2023, children separated confidently from parents and settled into activities. Staff used a gentle manner, while visual timers helped children manage taking turns. That combination gave children both adult support and a visible way to understand waiting.

In March 2023, the provider had failed to notify Ofsted of significant events. This had no impact on children’s safety or wellbeing, and the acting manager and committee members began taking corrective steps immediately.

Self-care was less consistent. In March 2023, adults sometimes fastened coats, wiped noses or served drinks when children could have had opportunities to attempt those tasks themselves. The improvement priority was to give children more consistent practice in doing things independently. This matters because readiness for school includes managing everyday needs, as well as listening and learning.

Communication with families included questionnaires in March 2023, together with suggestions for extending learning at home. Current parent resources cover independent play, conflict resolution and preparation for starting preschool. These give families practical topics to explore alongside the setting’s work.

The notification dated 5 March 2026 covered staff-to-child ratios, premises and equipment safety and suitability, the environment, and the handling of information and records. On 30 March 2026, Ofsted’s regulatory telephone call found that some requirements were not being met and that the provider had taken corrective action, including strengthened risk assessments and a planned staff meeting about supervision, especially outdoors. That published position contains both action already taken and a further discussion planned; it does not establish what happened afterwards.

Sessions and Attendance

Oldfield Pre-school operates on Green Lane, Vicars Cross, Chester, CH3 5LB. Its opening window is 8am to 5pm, and its attendance offer is term-time only.

The Extended Day runs from 8am to 5pm; the Core Day is 8.15am to 3.45pm. Morning only runs from 8.45am to 11.45am, while Morning plus lunch finishes at 12.30pm after the same start. Afternoon only is 12.30pm to 3.30pm. The Lunch plus afternoon entry gives 11.45am to 12.30pm; the timing issue is addressed below.

Earlier starts and later finishes can be added to sessions. These extensions do not qualify for government funding, so families comparing patterns should distinguish the booked day from the hours covered by funding.

Applications follow an annual timetable. Forms are normally issued in late January or early February, with a deadline on the second Wednesday in March and September offers by 31 May. Late applications enter a waiting list. The Register of Interest form prompts an application form to be sent in January or February of the academic year before a child becomes eligible. Contact is by telephone or the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded hours are accepted, and the Extended Day allows a maximum funding claim of 7.5 hours. Hours outside government funding are charged privately, with the hourly rate confirmed alongside an offer of a place. Fees are reviewed annually; current prices belong in the nursery’s written quotation.

Payments for privately charged hours can use BACS, Childcare Vouchers or Tax Free Childcare. The sessions and fees page brings together the attendance patterns and funding conditions.

The preschool shares the primary school grounds, but attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still need to follow the local authority admissions process.

• Outdoor supervision. The 30 March 2026 regulatory outcome describes stronger risk assessments and a planned staff discussion about supervision outdoors. Ask how those measures now work during playground use and access to the school’s forest school area.
• Independence in everyday tasks. March 2023 practice sometimes involved adults doing self-care tasks for children. A visit is an opportunity to discuss how children now practise coats, nose-wiping and serving drinks themselves.
• Lunch plus afternoon timing. This session pairs an 11.45am to 12.30pm window with a stated duration of 3.75 hours. Resolve that discrepancy before choosing it.

Oldfield suits families seeking term-time preschool education, whether through morning or afternoon sessions, a Core Day or an Extended Day. Its mud kitchen, school-ground outdoor access and community outings give the offer a recognisable character.

The March 2023 Good judgement provides a useful starting point. The later supervision intervention deserves equal attention: choosing this preschool should include a clear discussion of how the March 2026 actions have translated into daily practice.