St. John's C.E Preschool

Positive relationships sit alongside substantial weaknesses in teaching and care at this Wigan preschool. At its 10 February 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding standards met, but achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership all needed attention. These are separate judgements, rather than an overall grade.

St. John's C.E Preschool has 32 places in total. In February 2026, the children attending were aged two to four; that age range describes the children at that time.

The early years foundation stage sets requirements for children's learning, development and care: their play and routines should help them build skills and knowledge. In February 2026, children explored superhero role-play outdoors, handled play dough and used large chalks, giving imaginative and physical activities a place in their day.

Circle time followed a recognisable sequence. In February 2026, children formed a circle with friends, sang a greeting song, used photographs to mark their attendance and talked about the weather. Stories, rhymes and learning names for sea creatures also featured.

At the February 2026 inspection, Ofsted identified uneven progress, insufficient development of personal-care independence, inconsistent teaching about emotions and routines, inadequate supervision while eating, weak healthy-eating practice, poorly sequenced learning and mathematics, activities insufficiently adapted for younger children, too little response time in some discussions, insufficient staff training for SEND support, and weak monitoring and professional development arrangements. Together, these findings make the organisation of learning and everyday care central considerations for families.

In February 2026, children sought help and comfort from practitioners, and each child had a key person. Staff were getting to know families following changes in the team. These relationships provided a point of contact for individual needs.

One-to-one language activities and discussions with parents about emerging needs formed part of support in February 2026. Daily outdoor play offered opportunities for physical activity, while reminders about handwashing connected hygiene with everyday routines. These practical experiences should be considered alongside the shortcomings in eating supervision and staff support.

The address is St. Johns C of E School, St. John Street, Wigan, WN5 0DT. Attendance at a nursery on a school site does not guarantee a Reception place.

The February 2026 actions carried a deadline of 30 April 2026, covering eating supervision, teaching oversight, the sequence of learning, healthy eating and emotional understanding. The latest published position as at 6 October 2026 is that these actions were required; this does not establish their subsequent completion or present status.

• Eating supervision. The February 2026 findings included children moving away from the table with food still in their mouths. During a visit, ask how staff now supervise eating and teach safe mealtime routines.
• Teaching and staff support. The actions due by 30 April 2026 addressed both learning sequences and oversight of practice. Ask what changes have been made, including mathematics, emotional understanding and support for individual needs.
• Attendance arrangements. What ages and booking patterns can the preschool accommodate for your child?

This is a preschool to assess through concrete changes to practice. It may suit families seeking preschool care on a school site who are prepared to examine how the February 2026 concerns have been addressed. Positive relationships matter, but the eating-supervision and teaching findings deserve equal weight in the decision.