Unlike many other pre-schools and school nurseries, we are always very flexible regarding which sessions your child attends (and funded hours can be used in any form on any day), and accept bookings from just 1 session per week. We happily welcome children from 2 years old, and we are fully equipped for changing nappies and sleeping.  Children can start at any time i.e. mid-term. Any number of funded hours accepted (subject to eligibility) plus the various employer voucher schemes (if you already signed up to one before 4 Oct 2018) and also the tax-free childcare account. For up-to-date information and applications for all childcare financial support (including the 30 weekly funded hours) please go to https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

If you are interested in a place for your child, please download and read our welcome booklet from here   and then either contact our administrator Debbie on 07944 208909 for an informal chat and to arrange a visit,  email willastonpreschool@gmail.com, or complete our application form here. Children on our waiting list are given priority when a space becomes available. Please note that our pre-school is near Crewe and not on The Wirral.

All children over 3 years old (and some 2 year olds – see below) continue to be eligible for at least 15 weekly funded hours, no matter what their family’s circumstances.

Opening hours

Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 5.30pm (individual drop-off and pick-up times will be arranged convenient to you)

3 hour sessions from 8.30am to 11.30am, and then midday to 3pm with additional care hours as required provided by the same familiar faces.

Lunch club is from 11.30am to midday with the option of a hot lunch available.

Children must not be left early and should be collected on time.

Term dates

Free funding

Up to 30 hours per week of funded sessions are available for 3 and 4 year olds (which kicks in from the earliest of the 1 January, 1 April or 1 September following their 3rd birthday). All 3 and 4 year olds qualify for at least 15 hours. Please see our 30 hours letter here  for more details.

15 funded hours per week are also available for certain 2 year olds depending on circumstances (see here).

Tax-Free Childcare

Despite its name, this is basically a 20% contribution towards your childcare costs by the government (reducing our hourly fee to £4.26). You set up an online childcare account for your child and for every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay us. See https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare for further information.

Fees

As a registered charity, we set our fees to cover our costs only.

The following rates apply from Sept 2022:

• £15.99 per session (£5.33 per hour or £4.26 with tax-free childcare)
• Lunch club – £5.33 per hour (unless covered by funded hours)
• £3.00 for 2 course hot lunch

There is also a small fee of 40p per session to cover the costs of snacks and other consumables used by the children (does not apply to funded 2 year olds).

Invoices are emailed out to parents/carers during the first week of each half-term, and must be paid by the due date. Instalment options available depending on circumstances.

Stikin labels

We recommend all of your child’s belongings are labelled (as otherwise it is difficult to match belongings to your child), and this product is excellent, plus they give the pre-school 30% commission (if you enter code 35315 into the order form). Please go to the following link to make an order – https://www.stikins.co.uk .

Withdrawing your child from pre-school

A month’s notice is usually required to withdraw your child from pre-school. If claiming funding, a term’s notice is required.

School nurseries – the facts

Many primary schools also offer nursery education for children aged 3-4 years, and may suggest you move your child there before you make your reception class application. But is this right for your child? Let’s explore the differences:

Learning – our pre-school sessions are based on the individual interests and needs of each child. Our staff continuously observe each child and then offer educational activities that help them progress and succeed, while meeting the whole of the EYFS requirements. In contrast, school nurseries follow strict topic-led curriculum teaching that might not be of interest to your child, and if they’re not interested, they’re less likely to get involved and enjoy learning.

Staff ratios – school nurseries are required to have just one adult per 13 children. That could mean there are 26 children with only two adults! Our maximum ratio is one adult to every six children (and usually four children)  – that’s three times as many qualified adults which gives your child a safer, more personalised and nurturing experience. Many school nurseries also have to share facilities with the rest of the school (as the nursery provision is often in a single classroom). This can include play areas and having lunch in the hall with much bigger children, an experience which can be completely overwhelming for younger children.

Flexibility – at pre-school you can book as many or as few sessions as you would like for your child, and change your booking mid-term (subject to availability). Many school nurseries require a minimum booking of at least 4 sessions per week with no flexibility or ability to change bookings until the next term. We also offer flexible personalised drop-off and pick-up times to suit you, so that there is time to talk to our staff every day without being rushed.

Key person At our pre-school, your child will be paired with a qualified adult of their choosing – someone they naturally connect and feel comfortable with. This person will gain an in-depth knowledge of your child and their learning, and also become your contact at pre-school. Our administrator is also available for out of hours queries and will always get back to you.

Making friends – when starting reception class, it doesn’t take long for children to build strong relationships as children are naturally friendly and curious. In most cases, a group of children will move on together from pre-school to the same school (including for example Willaston, Church Lane, Weston and Shavington), so there will already be familiar faces when they start in reception. Do not be put under pressure and made to feel guilty about keeping your child at pre-school when they are already happy and confidently learning here.

School reception class place – the school doesn’t make the decision about who is accepted into the reception year (as this decision is made by Cheshire East). There have been cases where a parent has moved their child to a school nursery only to discover that they don’t then get a reception place at that school. Just because a child attends a school nursery doesn’t guarantee them a place at that school, so make your decision based on what YOU think is best for YOUR CHILD.