Bunyan Playgroup
GoodTakes funded hours★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Bedford for from 2 years up to school age, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2023. Open since 1996, with 30 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
2-year-olds: 15 hours funded; 3–4-year-olds: 15 or 30 hours funded.
What childcare usually costs in Bedford
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Bedford 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
MK42 7ALWhat 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.
- 14 May 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 27 February 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and settled at the playgroup, and they separate from their parents confidently at the door. They are warmly greeted by staff, who support them to hang up their coats. There is a clear bond between staff and children, which helps them to feel safe and secure.
Children make good progress in all areas of learning. They eagerly explore their environment and become engaged in a wide variety of activities, which are based around their interests. Children enjoy making 'tea' in the water activity tray. They build strength in their hands as they pour the tea from teapots into cups. They explore the different scents of lemon and orange slices to flavour the tea. Children learn to express themselves during music sessions. They use a beater to make sounds on a drum. Staff link the sound to emotions as they tell the children, 'the drum makes an angry sound.' Children develop their listening skills, as staff use
'stop' and 'go' signs for the children to stop and start playing the musical instruments.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review and improve the organisation of transitions during the day to minimise disruption as children move from one activity to another n develop opportunities to support children's understanding of online safety.
- 27 February 2023Good
- 3 May 2017Good
- 14 March 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Bunyan Playgroup
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.