Alpha Pre School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Freshbrook, Swindon for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2025. Open since 2010, with 24 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Swindon
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Swindon from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
SN5 8NUWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 23 September 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy, safe and secure. Staff know children well and focus on creating strong bonds with them. Staff understand how this helps children's learning and development. Staff have developed a strong routine for children to understand.
Children self-register by hanging their name label on the branch of a pretend tree.
Older children set an alarm clock that lets children know when it is time to create a circle for a group time. Children explain to their friends that they have set the clock to make a noise in five minutes. Children develop physical skills as they move their bodies to music. Older children remember what day it is and which month, showing strong memory skills. Children are kind to others. They are confident and greet new people with big smiles. During group times, children take part in a song where they welcome all the children to the setting. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children are good at taking turns and waiting patiently. When younger children have trouble sharing toys, staff help them understand how their actions impact others.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: ensure that all staff maintain valid paediatric first-aid certificates at all times to meet statutory requirements. (by 06/10/2025)
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the strategies in place to support children who speak English as an additional language to further support their language and communication skills even more n develop staff's skills in planning a curriculum to support children to understand and celebrate their similarities and differences and to learn more about religions and cultures that differ from their own n work more closely with parents to support children in developing healthy choices around food.
- 23 September 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 12 December 2024Needs improvement Safeguarding: Yes
- 30 January 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Alpha Pre School
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.