The Frantastic Pre-School

Kindness, familiar stories and movement give The Frantastic Pre-School its character, while scrutiny of leadership is the important counterweight. This Southport setting operates at The Lodge on Mornington Road and has 30 places in total. Its strongest appeal is the attention given to children's relationships and everyday independence.

At its 26 January 2026 inspection, Ofsted awarded strong standard judgements for inclusion, welfare and wellbeing, and behaviour and routines; achievement and curriculum and teaching met the expected standard, leadership and governance needed attention, and safeguarding standards were met. Those are separate judgements, rather than an overall grade. Families should weigh the positive account of children's care alongside the concern about oversight.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage connects children's learning, development and care: play builds language, physical skills and the ability to manage feelings and relationships. In January 2026, counting and comparisons of size were woven into water-tray play. That gives early mathematics a practical purpose, rather than making it a separate exercise.

Two named activities make the learning more recognisable. In January 2026, book of the week involved returning to the same stories, helping children remember events and bring familiar language into their play. Squiggle while we wiggle used muscle control and arm movement to prepare for writing. Together, these examples connect listening and movement with the skills children will use later. In January 2026, leaders recognised that staff needed more support and confidence to put the whole curriculum into practice consistently. Coaching and guidance were in place to help address this.

Choice also had a place in the January 2026 day. Children selected activities and persisted with tasks they found difficult; at the easel, they worked together to attach paper with clips. The useful detail is the small problem they solved themselves. Painting offered an opportunity to cooperate as well as make something.

Outdoor and Community Life

In January 2026, children constructed obstacle courses outside, climbed and took part in star jumps. The outdoor area supported movement that involved balance, strength and coordination, with children contributing their own ideas to the activity.

The pre-school registration form includes parental permission for outings to places such as shops and the park. This makes off-site experiences part of the consent conversation, rather than treating permission for photographs as permission for everything else. Families can distinguish between the experiences they agree to and the separate uses of their child's images.

Relationships and Communication

Getting to know a child starts with the All About Me booklet. It asks about favourite foods, home language, preferred play and anything that might make settling difficult, including changes at home. These are useful details for staff planning a child's start: a preference for quiet play or a familiar activity can give them a more personal starting point.

The booklet also asks whether parents agree to information about progress being shared with the child's Reception teacher. This provides a specific route for continuity when children move on, with consent built into the question. It concerns sharing information about a child, rather than an admissions advantage.

In January 2026, staff exchanged observations with parents and offered practical ideas for learning at home. Attendance patterns were monitored, with home visits used when necessary to look into a child's wellbeing. The relationship with families therefore extended beyond discussing activities completed during a session.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

January 2026 practice included adapting routines for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and using familiar strategies when activities changed. Staff followed advice from external professionals and adjusted environments. These are concrete mechanisms for support, and give parents useful points of comparison when discussing their own child's needs.

The pre-school's registration form asks about disabilities, additional support, allergies, medication and dietary requirements. A password is required for collection, including by authorised adults and emergency contacts. Parents also need to notify staff in advance if an unfamiliar person will collect their child and supply a photograph for identification.

Operation Encompass is another specific arrangement: it connects police information about domestic abuse incidents with a trained safeguarding contact so that support can be planned for the child. This describes a safeguarding mechanism; the dated safeguarding judgement belongs to the inspection.

In January 2026, snacks and conversations about healthy lunch boxes helped children explore food choices. Predictable routines and help with recognising emotions were also part of the day, giving children repeated opportunities to practise handling feelings and changes.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Lodge, Mornington Road, Southport, PR9 0TS. Opening hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, with closure during school holidays. Families needing holiday childcare should factor that closure into their plans.

Pre-school enquiries go through the contact form or telephone 07854 218146. Before starting, parents complete the All About Me booklet and the pre-school registration form, which can be returned electronically or given to staff. The paperwork combines an introduction to the child with the health and collection information needed for their care.

• Leadership oversight. The January 2026 findings identified insufficient challenge and support for leaders, irregular supervision, weak accountability and too little consideration of leaders' wellbeing and workload; the required supervision arrangements had a completion deadline of 27 February 2026. Ask how supervision and provider oversight now work, and what changes followed that requirement.
• Term-time planning. Closure during school holidays is a practical limit for working families. Match the attendance pattern to your working day, with a written quotation covering funded hours, additional hours, food and consumables.
• Settling and individual support. The All About Me booklet records preferences and possible settling difficulties, while January 2026 practice included changes to routines for children with additional needs. Use a visit to discuss how your child's information would shape their start and subsequent support.

The Frantastic Pre-School merits consideration for families seeking term-time care with an emphasis on social confidence, stories and active play. Book of the week and squiggle while we wiggle give substance to that appeal, and the introductory booklet offers parents a practical way to explain their child's preferences.

Leadership oversight remains the decisive question raised by the January 2026 findings. A family choosing this setting should give the response to that requirement as much weight as the positive care judgements. The case for choosing it is clearest when its term-time calendar fits the family's needs and the discussion of supervision and individual support is convincing.