Buddies Preschool
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Romford 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 September 2024. Open since 2014, with 15 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 Havering
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Havering 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
RM3 0LXWhat 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, 26 September 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The staff at the pre-school are patient, kind and very caring. They are experienced and understand how young children learn and develop. Staff provide children with exciting and challenging activities which cover all curriculum areas. Children enjoy their time at the pre-school and are confident and self-assured. Staff are highly responsive to children's needs. They follow children's fascinations with vehicles and play dough, ensuring that these resources are available when they arrive. This motivates and inspires children to learn and helps new children to settle quickly.
Children show good levels of independence as they explore their environment.
Staff provide good support for children's communication and language development. For example, children love talking about their experiences, such as going to London and riding their bicycles. Children also develop early, secure reading skills. For instance, they eagerly repeat familiar phrases and learn words while engaging in a story about a bear hunt. Children use words and phrases, such as 'deep, cold river' and 'sloshy mud' to describe the story setting.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- ensure that the contents of children's packed lunches and snacks promote their understanding of healthy eating even further n enhance children's learning potential by engaging parents and carers more in their children's learning at home.
- 26 September 2024Good
- 19 November 2018Good
- 7 June 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Buddies Preschool
- 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.