Applecroft Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Luton for children from birth to 8+, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2024. Open since 2014, 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 Luton
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Luton 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
LU2 8BBWhat 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, 10 July 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are confident and keen to learn at this small and welcoming pre-school.
Staff know the children well and provide opportunities for learning that gain their attention. Children concentrate to fill rows of boards with pegs, and older children eagerly attempt to trace their name. Outside, children dig and make marks in the mud. These activities help to develop their small finger muscles. Children are gaining good larger physical skills. Staff provide children with access to resources that they might not have outside pre-school, such as tricycles and scooters.
Children ride them in the garden, developing control. Inside, staff lead a 'freeze dance'. They model hopping, jumping and staying still. Children copy the actions and hold a still pose in creative ways when the music stops. This helps to develop their awareness of their bodies and space.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- target staff development more sharply to help build on their knowledge and teaching skills
- help staff to prepare the transition times of the day so that children's learning is maximised.
- 10 July 2024Good
- 25 March 2019Good
- 17 March 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Applecroft 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.