Little Gregs Pre-School

School-hall PE, outdoor play and two age-based rooms give Little Gregs Pre-School a clear preschool character. It shares a site in Stratford-upon-Avon with St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, but operates independently as a charity-run setting. Sharing the site does not make it the school's nursery.

At its May 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good, judged safeguarding effective and found good learning progress for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language. That is a dated judgement, with two practical improvement points: giving children more opportunity to solve problems themselves and making the end of mealtimes more consistent.

There are 32 places in total. Cubs caters for children aged two to three, while Lions and Tigers serves the three-to-four age group. Term-time attendance can combine morning or afternoon sessions with longer preschool days, and Club LG adds wraparound care for children aged three and above.

Rooms and Ages

Cubs provides resources intended to support the development of two-to-three-year-olds, with staff working alongside parents on children's individual needs. This makes the younger room's emphasis personal rather than simply preparation for the next age group.

For three-to-four-year-olds, Lions and Tigers combines preparation for the next learning stage with letter sounds, mathematics and topic activities, using two registration areas and access to the school hall for PE and Sports Muga. Those physical resources give older children space for movement alongside their classroom learning.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. For children, this includes speaking and listening, early mathematics, physical skills and learning to understand emotions.

In May 2022, communication received substantial attention through stories, singing and group conversation. Children talked about their weekends and matched rhyming words in familiar stories. These are concrete ways to practise speaking, listening and noticing the sounds within language.

The same visit captured counting through ladybird spots and physical challenges through an obstacle course made with crates. Children chose activities independently, giving them opportunities to exercise judgement as well as practise skills. The limitation was adult timing: staff sometimes stepped in too soon when a child struggled with a model, leaving less opportunity to find a solution independently.

Outdoor and Community Life

In May 2022, outdoor experiences included lying on grass to listen to surrounding sounds and discussing the feelings those sounds prompted. Children also handled resident chicks carefully and washed their hands afterwards. Nature was used for conversation, emotional understanding and practical care, rather than simply as a backdrop to play.

Parents can participate in trips and sports day, and contribute activities of their own. Fundraising has supported classroom resources, an interactive screen and a shed. These are tangible ways for family involvement to contribute to the setting, with participation extending beyond routine conversations about an individual child.

Relationships and Communication

An open-door policy provides opportunities for confidential discussion. Within Cubs, collaboration with parents forms part of responding to individual needs, so communication has a practical role in the younger children's care.

In May 2022, staff reviewed children's development to identify learning gaps and worked with families and other professionals on support. Parents also received ideas for activities at home and were consulted about funding expenditure. This connected what children did at preschool with what families could continue outside it.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The manager's role includes SENCO responsibilities, alongside safeguarding leadership. There are two designated safeguarding leads, and child-protection training is refreshed through staff meetings. A child-specific password system and restrictions on mobile-phone use are additional arrangements families will encounter.

In May 2022, staff had access to training and support for their own wellbeing. Children practised naming emotions and discussing them, linking language development with expressing feelings. However, the finish of mealtimes was less settled: differing adult expectations left some children unsure what to do once they had eaten, occasionally leading to restlessness.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is St. Gregorys Primary School, Avenue Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6UZ. Little Gregs operates during term time, with preschool opening hours of 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 11.30am; afternoon sessions run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. The funded preschool day runs from 8.30am to 2.30pm. A full preschool day finishes at 3.30pm and combines six funded hours with one paid hour. These are different booking choices, rather than one long day divided informally.

For preschool children aged three and above, breakfast care runs from 7.40am to 8.30am, followed by afterschool options of 3.30pm to 4.15pm and 4.15pm to 5.15pm. Club LG operates in the host school and is staffed by Little Gregs practitioners. Club bookings and changes require office confirmation; ad-hoc sessions must be requested at least a week ahead and depend on availability. Families cannot simply use a session on the day without arranging it.

General enquiries can be made through the contact form or by calling 01789 290198. Appointment booking is also offered.

Sharing premises with St Gregory's Catholic Primary School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still use the local authority admissions process for a state-school application.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for two-, three- and four-year-olds, delivered during term time. The entitlements include working-parent funding for eligible two-year-olds, 2Help Childcare Funding, and 15 hours per week for three- and four-year-olds, with eligible families able to access up to 30 hours per week. Eligibility conditions apply; an entitlement is not a guarantee of a place.

Funding administration includes a declaration updated each term. Families using an eligibility code must supply it to Little Gregs and reconfirm eligibility every three months. Additional private sessions and paid hours are also offered; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the attendance structure set out on its hours and fees page.

Preschool snacks and a hot lunch are included at no extra cost, including within the funded offer; families may instead bring food that follows the Government’s Early Years Nutrition Guidelines. Breakfast care includes food, and the second afterschool session includes a light tea.

Club LG requires a completed registration form and a registration charge. Its invoices are issued monthly, with payment due within 10 to 14 days.

• Problem-solving and mealtime routines. In May 2022, adults sometimes intervened before children could work out solutions, and expectations after eating varied. On a visit, ask how staff now allow thinking time and organise the end of lunch.
• Club LG timings. The preschool timetable and Club LG information give different breakfast finish and afterschool start times. Confirm which timetable applies to your preschool child's booking before arranging collection or work commitments.

Little Gregs suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those combining a funded preschool day with paid additional time. For children aged three and above, Club LG can extend the day around those choices.

The strongest reasons to consider it are the age-based rooms, access to physical activity spaces and practical opportunities for parents to participate. The May 2022 judgement provides a positive assessment of that period, alongside clear questions about adult intervention and mealtime organisation. Its school-site setting is useful context, but Reception admission remains a separate decision.