Moreton Baptist Preschool

A Christian preschool with a climbing frame, play dough and a parent-accessible learning journal, Moreton Baptist Preschool combines a clear religious identity with a practical emphasis on growing independence. It operates within Moreton Baptist Church in Moreton, Wirral, and welcomes children from two years old until school age. There are 33 places in total.

At its September 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good overall, while identifying a need to match teaching more precisely to individual children’s learning needs. That gives families a balanced starting point: a positive overall judgement with a specific teaching issue to explore.

Care runs during term time, with morning and afternoon sessions alongside full days. The shorter sessions make this an option for families building attendance gradually as well as those seeking a longer preschool day.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning, development and care: here, children practise language, movement, early mathematics and social skills through play and group activities. It is the shared early-years framework, rather than an additional branded programme.

The session begins with hand cleaning and photo-based self-registration, giving children a practical task they can recognise and complete. Register time can include number rhymes, songs, shared news or learning French. Children then choose between activities such as construction, painting, jigsaws and imaginative play before a more structured group activity and a closing story. This alternation gives them opportunities both to pursue their own ideas and to participate together.

Books have a place outdoors as well as in the book corner. Rhythmic activities introduce sounds, while making marks helps children explore what writing can communicate. Early mathematics is similarly practical: sorting objects and matching them sit alongside counting, ordering and solving simple problems. These are foundations for later learning rather than formal lessons transplanted into preschool.

Creative work uses paint, collage materials and objects that can be reused, allowing children to make their own responses rather than follow a single finished design. Programmable toys, a computer and recording equipment add opportunities to experiment with technology. The emphasis is on using resources to explore and solve problems.

In September 2024, staff used signing and introduced vocabulary during activities to help children communicate. Counting objects also gave numbers a practical meaning. However, some group activities did not pitch the intended learning closely enough to individual needs, and children lost attention. The improvement priority was therefore about the precision of teaching, rather than adding more activities.

Outdoor Play

A climbing frame and balancing equipment give children different ways to test movement, while bikes and cars support active play. Outdoor resources also include role play and mark-making materials, so outside time extends beyond exercise.

In September 2024, the garden supported running, ball play and riding tricycles. A mud kitchen had also been introduced in response to children’s interest in sensory experiences. That was a concrete example of resources being selected around what engaged the children.

Relationships and Communication

The key-person system links each child’s care and activities to an adult who works with the family. Parents participate in an agreed settling plan and share information about interests, needs and achievements. This gives settling a joint structure, with home knowledge informing what happens at preschool.

Tapestry is the online journal used to record children’s progress; parents receive access to view the record and contribute their own observations. A child’s learning at home can therefore sit alongside their preschool experiences. Key persons also meet parents to discuss development and any concerns, rather than leaving communication entirely to the journal.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and identified SEND support as a strength, with prompt referrals, carefully prepared support plans and collaboration between families, staff and other professionals helping children progress. These are dated findings, but they give useful substance to the overall judgement.

The current team includes a SENCO role and a deputy safeguarding lead role. Staff undertake continuing training and hold current first-aid and safeguarding certificates. The partnership policy also sets out how key persons work with parents on agreed plans for special educational needs, providing a mechanism for individual support.

Everyday care includes toilet support and nappy changes when needed. Families supply spare clothing and, where required, nappies and wipes for a named bag kept at preschool. This makes personal supplies part of the preparation for attendance.

School preparation includes partnership work with schools and sharing children’s records under the preschool’s transition procedures. The emphasis is on continuity of information as children move on.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 326 Hoylake Road, Moreton, Wirral, CH46 6DF, within Moreton Baptist Church. Applications can be made through the preschool’s contact page, which also provides a general enquiry form.

Term-time sessions run Monday to Friday: mornings are 9am to noon and afternoons are 1pm to 4pm. Full days run from 9am to 4pm. Children attend between two and ten sessions each week, and attendance often increases in their second year. These are genuinely different patterns, so a family can consider a shorter preschool session separately from a full day.

For extended hours, older children receive priority for full-day allocations. This is a booking rule worth weighing when planning attendance for a younger child. Leaving requires half a term’s notice, or payment through the half-term’s end.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded entitlements are accepted. All children are entitled to 15 free hours per week during academic terms from the term after their third birthday; some children qualify from the term after they turn two. Eligible families may receive up to 30 free hours per week during academic terms. Funding can be used for shorter sessions or full days, with a full day using seven funded hours. The preschool also accepts Tax-Free Childcare and can assist with funding applications.

Private fees apply where a child is ineligible for funded entitlement or attends beyond their funded hours. Families receive itemised invoices each half term, normally payable in advance; monthly or weekly payment can be discussed. Fees remain payable during absence, with prolonged absence handled through discussion with the preschool leader. Current prices should form part of the preschool’s written quotation.

Parents provide packed lunches, while the preschool supplies snacks; its food policy identifies allergens on menus and provides for individual dietary risk assessments. Lunch boxes need measures such as ice packs because refrigerated lunch storage is not provided.

• Christian identity. Moreton Baptist Preschool forms part of Moreton Baptist Church and aims to express the love of Jesus through its care. At a visit, explore how that identity features in activities and conversations with children.
• Individual teaching. In September 2024, some group activities did not match children’s learning needs closely enough. Ask how group time is now adapted for children at different stages.
• Term-time planning. Morning, afternoon and full-day patterns operate during academic terms, and older children take priority for extended full-day hours. Consider how the chosen pattern fits both your child’s age and holiday childcare arrangements.
• Food and allergies. Families pack lunch, and the food policy uses individual allergy assessments and menu information. Confirm the current arrangements for your child’s allergy, including lunch storage and food used in play.

Moreton Baptist Preschool suits families seeking a Christian setting for children from two to school age, with a choice between morning or afternoon sessions and full days during term time. Tapestry gives parents a practical way to contribute to learning records, while outdoor equipment and varied play materials support an active preschool day.

The September 2024 Good judgement is balanced by a clear teaching priority around individual needs. For families weighing this preschool, the useful decision is whether its religious identity, attendance patterns and approach to adapting group learning fit their child.