Southlands Creche

An Old School House, a garden children can move into freely, and swimming every week give Southlands Creche a recognisable character. Based in Wolstanton, within the grounds of St. Margaret’s school, it combines a historic building with a day that reaches beyond it. The emphasis is on young children exploring, moving and forming relationships, rather than staying indoors with activities brought to them.

The setting has 26 places in total and accepts children from three months to three years. At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and found safeguarding effective, with positive findings about children’s relationships with their key person and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. That is a dated judgement, rather than a description of every aspect of today’s provision.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS shapes the curriculum: children learn through play, with language, movement and emotional development receiving particular attention at this young age. Stories, songs and rhymes give children repeated opportunities to hear words and join in; daily conversations connect learning with what interests them. Stories, music, rhymes and everyday conversations make these areas of learning part of children’s play.

Choice matters here. Children can select activities and move freely into the secure garden, so outdoor play is connected to the indoor experience. The Grade II listed Old School House gives the crèche its physical identity, but the garden and outings broaden the spaces children use. Parents seeking an active day for a toddler have concrete features to weigh, beyond a general promise of outdoor learning.

In November 2022, a story activity combined reading with materials including herbs, cotton wool and mud. Children explored smell and texture while joining in familiar parts of the story. Jigsaws offered a different challenge: children moved on to puzzles with more pieces after completing simpler ones. Both examples show how everyday resources could support conversation, concentration and persistence at that time.

There were weaknesses too. In November 2022, some children drifted away from group activities when other experiences distracted them, and staff sometimes let opportunities to develop play further pass. Ofsted’s improvement priorities at that inspection were better organisation of shared activities and teaching that stretched children’s learning more consistently. Those points matter alongside the appealing activity list: the value lies in how staff use an experience, as well as what is offered.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor exploration happens daily. Minibus trips extend the day beyond the garden, while weekly swimming adds a recurring physical activity; yoga also forms part of the offer. Swimming has a clear frequency, whereas the minibus outings are opportunities rather than a fixed weekly promise. That distinction helps parents picture the rhythm of attendance accurately.

The Southlands group’s gardening club, also offered here, involves children growing produce. It links handling plants with the food they encounter, giving them something tangible to observe over time. In November 2022, children also went on outings each day and practised following instructions and keeping themselves safe beyond the nursery. This gives the current emphasis on exploration a useful historical context.

Relationships and Communication

Key-worker relationships are central to the care model. A key worker is assigned during induction, and parents complete a child CV to share information about their child. Settling is considered individually, taking account of previous separations, experience with other children and emotional development. The practical benefit is a starting point built around the child’s history, rather than a uniform timetable for everyone.

Parents initially stay with their child until both they and the key worker consider the child ready for a separation. Settling visits are free until the child is ready for a complete session, and home visits can be arranged. Families can therefore use the settling period to establish familiarity before regular attendance begins.

Communication combines conversations at handover, open evenings and updates through the Famly App. These keep parents informed about children’s achievements and daily experiences. For urgent information or a concern requiring a prompt response, the telephone is the required route rather than the app.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The crèche has a SENCO role and designated safeguarding lead responsibilities. These identify where responsibility sits for additional needs and safeguarding concerns; they do not replace the dated inspection judgement. In November 2022, staff used assessments to recognise when children needed extra help, made referrals and worked with external agencies and parents.

Food is prepared on site by cooks, with three freshly cooked meals each day; meals are included in day rates, and the Southlands Food Policy does not allow packed lunches. That makes food part of the attendance arrangement rather than something families routinely send from home.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is St. Margarets C of E Junior School, Knutton Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 0HU. The crèche opens at 7.35am and closes at 5.45pm. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by calling 01782 714465.

Funded attendance includes full-day sessions, with a three-day minimum for children using the 30-hour funding arrangement. There is also a term-time care-only option that meets EYFS requirements and excludes the additional enrichment activities. These are different choices: families should weigh participation in the enrichment offer alongside the attendance calendar.

Annual closures cover Christmas week, Easter week, the August bank holiday week and bank holidays. The last day of the autumn term has an earlier 5pm finish. Withdrawal requires one month’s notice, and fees remain payable when a child is absent because of illness or a family holiday, so the booked pattern carries an ongoing financial commitment.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding includes the working-parent entitlement for eligible children aged nine months and over, the entitlement for three-year-olds and Think2 support for qualifying two-year-olds. Funding is stretched across the 49-week year, while Think2 has a 15-hour term-time-only option. Eligibility and the attendance arrangement both affect the resulting bill.

Meals are included in all day rates, including funded attendance. The chosen consumable and enrichment charges are not applied to children under three; for older children they apply from the term after their third birthday, during funded weeks, and are optional. Current prices and the agreed funding arrangement come in a written quotation. The funding and fees information explains the structure.

Being within school grounds does not guarantee a Reception place. Families seeking a state-school place still use the local authority admissions process. Moving from the crèche to Southlands Kindergarten also requires a separate application, so continued attendance there needs its own arrangement.

• Teaching beyond the activity list. The November 2022 improvement priorities concerned group participation and extending learning. On a visit, ask how staff now organise shared activities and build on a child’s chosen play.
• The attendance commitment. The 30-hour funded arrangement has a three-day minimum, alongside a term-time care-only option. Compare those patterns with your working week and the annual closure periods.
• Food and personal supplies. Meals are included and packed lunches are prohibited. Ask how your child’s dietary needs are handled.
• The next stage needs planning. A separate application is required for Southlands Kindergarten. Discuss that transition alongside your child’s settling and attendance plans; the school site itself confers no guaranteed Reception place.

Southlands Creche suits families who value daily outdoor exploration, weekly swimming and a key-worker approach during the earliest years. It serves both families choosing full-day funded attendance and those considering term-time care-only provision. The garden, minibus outings and individual settling arrangements give that choice substance. Balance those attractions with the attendance commitment and the November 2022 priorities for more purposeful teaching and better organised group activities.