Kirkham Pre-School

Wooden planks turned into a see-saw, chalk washed away with spray bottles and songs shared with staff: Kirkham Pre-School's September 2023 day combined physical exploration with conversation. The setting has 30 places in total and operates from Methodist Church Hall on Nelson Street. Its not-for-profit model serves the surrounding community.

Ofsted rated the pre-school Good on 28 September 2023 and found that children made good progress, with activities building on skills they had already acquired. Children attending at that time were aged two to four. That age range describes the inspection group rather than a current admissions promise.

Morning, afternoon and whole-day sessions sit within a term-time timetable. This is a practical choice for families whose childcare needs follow school terms, with a separate arrangement needed for holidays.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets out requirements for children's learning, development and care. In practice, play, conversation and physical activity give children opportunities to develop communication and movement skills. In September 2023, activities gave children opportunities to return to new learning and practise it, rather than move immediately to something different.

Physical play had a clear purpose. In September 2023, children balanced on a see-saw they had constructed from wooden planks, then used spray bottles to remove chalk marks. These tasks exercised different movements: balancing involved the whole body, while squeezing a bottle required smaller hand movements. Familiar songs and stories created opportunities to listen, join in and talk with adults.

The same September 2023 account showed children concentrating on tasks and wanting to finish them. There was a useful balance between adult-planned activities and children's exploration of the space. For parents, those examples give a more concrete picture of the day than a curriculum label alone.

Outdoor and Community Life

In September 2023, children could move between indoor activities and outdoor play. Staff supervised that movement and supported children as they learnt to judge manageable risks. The outdoor space was part of their activity during the day, rather than simply a destination for a separate outing.

Exercise also prompted discussion about health. In September 2023, children talked about drinking water to cool down after active play. That linked a practical habit to something they had experienced themselves.

At the September 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support excellent, with the special educational needs coordinator and manager working with partners to understand and meet children's needs. Those are dated judgements, but they give families a substantial account of how care was organised at that visit.

In September 2023, staff exchanged information with parents about children's progress and learning at home. Information travelled both ways. That matters because a child's interests and needs can look different across home and pre-school, and both perspectives informed their care.

PIP volunteers may help children with additional needs, providing a route for outside-agency involvement. Staff and volunteers undergo DBS checks, and staff training covers first aid, safeguarding, child protection, food hygiene, and health and safety. These are arrangements for care and staff preparation rather than a substitute for the dated safeguarding judgement.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. The booking choices are a morning session from 9am to noon, an afternoon session from noon to 3pm, or a whole-day session from 9am to 3pm. Families can therefore consider a shorter part-day pattern as well as a day covering both sessions.

The address is Methodist Church Hall, Nelson Street, Kirkham, PR4 2JP. Enquiries can be made by telephone or email, and an online enquiry form also sends messages to the pre-school.

Funding and Paid Extras

The pre-school accepts 15 hours of weekly funding for two- and three-year-olds, plus the extended 30 hours for eligible three-year-olds. Provision is term-time only. Private sessions and attendance beyond a child's funded allocation are paid for weekly; families should obtain a current written quotation for their chosen pattern.

Fees remain payable when a child misses attendance through illness or a holiday, but are not payable when the pre-school itself is closed. That distinction matters when budgeting: a child's absence and a setting closure receive different treatment.

• Term-time coverage. Morning, afternoon and whole-day sessions operate within a term-time calendar. Families needing holiday childcare will need to account for those breaks.
• Consistency between practitioners. In September 2023, some staff understood parts of the curriculum less fully, affecting how precisely activities and conversations supported learning. On a visit, ask how staff now develop and share that understanding.
• Feelings and friendships. The September 2023 improvement priorities included helping children manage emotions and behaviour; support for taking turns and cooperative play was inconsistent. Ask how practitioners handle these everyday social challenges now.
• Session costs beyond hours. When discussing a morning, afternoon or whole-day booking, ask what arrangements apply to food and non-food consumables within both funded and paid attendance.

Kirkham Pre-School suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those wanting a whole day from 9am to 3pm. Its September 2023 picture was of practical, active learning, with indoor and outdoor exploration and two-way communication with parents. The curriculum consistency and emotional-development priorities deserve attention alongside those strengths. The decision rests on whether that term-time pattern and the current response to those priorities fit your child.