Whittington Pre-School

Digging up potatoes, identifying insects and learning to put on boots give Whittington Pre-School a practical, nature-led character. These were features of daily life in September 2024, when outdoor exploration sat alongside music, sport and imaginative play. The appeal is concrete: children had things to investigate, skills to practise and small responsibilities to take on.

Based at Activate, Church Lane, Whittington, WR5 2RQ, the pre-school has capacity for 47 children aged 24 to 60 months. At its 13 September 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and found safeguarding effective. A later safeguarding-related regulatory action, detailed below, is material to a family's decision and needs to be considered alongside that earlier judgement.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: in everyday terms, education and care belong together, with play providing opportunities to practise communication, movement and independence.

In September 2024, activities were adapted to children's ages and development. Nature supplied an especially tangible strand. During forest school sessions, older children investigated insects and practised treating living things carefully; planting and digging gave them another way to explore growth. Finding potatoes made the connection between the soil and what grows in it immediate.

Physical play had substance too. In September 2024, children used equipment for balancing and climbing, and practised catching and throwing with bean bags and balls. Visiting sports and music professionals introduced skills that staff subsequently brought into their own activities. That connection mattered: an outside session became material for further practice rather than an isolated experience.

Rooms and Ages

The September 2024 account distinguishes younger and older children's experiences. Younger children explored familiar care routines through play with dolls, while construction, painting and drawing offered opportunities to experiment. Staff used visual prompts, including photographs and symbols, to make instructions clearer for younger children. The practical benefit was a day that children could understand through more than spoken directions alone.

There was a limitation to adult-led learning. In September 2024, some group activities moved on before children had sufficient opportunity to absorb an unfamiliar experience or practise a skill. The improvement requested was about pace and participation, rather than adding more activities.

Relationships were central to settling in September 2024. Staff gathered information from parents, offered patient reassurance and helped new children begin exploring and participating. Children built relationships with their key person as well as other staff, giving them several familiar adults within the setting.

Stay-and-play sessions also featured in September 2024, allowing parents and children to become familiar with staff and the pre-school together. Information-sharing with families was accompanied by charity and seasonal events. These provided further opportunities for contact beyond conversations about an individual child's day.

Independence was taught through ordinary tasks. In September 2024, older children poured drinks and worked on getting their boots on, with staff offering guidance; younger children practised handwashing and putting resources away. Small tasks gave children something achievable to do for themselves.

Support mechanisms in September 2024 included identifying gaps in learning, introducing interventions, working with other professionals and liaising with parents about children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, support for older children's emotions and behaviour was inconsistent: explanations were sometimes unclear, and staff needed to help children understand feelings and responses more effectively.

In its complaint outcome dated 17 July 2025, Ofsted recorded a failure to notify it of a significant event concerning suitable people and issued actions covering notification knowledge and safeguarding procedures when allegations concern staff. Those actions had a deadline of 20 August 2025; the latest published position is that the provider remained registered and its response would be monitored.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, with closure during school holidays. This makes the calendar an essential part of the decision: families needing holiday childcare will need a separate arrangement for those periods.

The address is Activate, Church Lane, Whittington, WR5 2RQ. Enquiries can be made by email at hello@whittingtonpreschool.co.uk or by telephone on 07746-554-057.

Funding and Paid Extras

In September 2024, the pre-school provided funded places for children aged two and three years. That is a dated participation statement, rather than a promise of a funded place for an individual child.

• Safeguarding actions. The 17 July 2025 outcome required changes to notification knowledge and procedures for allegations about staff. Ask what action was taken and how those procedures now work before making a joining decision.
• Time to learn and emotional support. September 2024 improvement points concerned the pace of group activities and inconsistent help with older children's feelings and behaviour. During a visit, discuss how staff give children time to practise and explain difficult emotions.
• Term-time attendance. The pre-school closes during school holidays and operates within a 9am to 3pm window. Ask which booking patterns and current funding arrangements would fit your child's attendance needs.

Whittington Pre-School suits families whose childcare needs fit a term-time calendar and daytime opening window, and who value practical exploration and growing independence. Its September 2024 experiences give that appeal substance: insects, planting, physical play and manageable everyday tasks. The July 2025 safeguarding actions are a significant consideration. A decision should take account of the nursery's response to those specific requirements, alongside how it has addressed the earlier learning and behaviour improvement points.