Carrington Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in High Wycombe for children from birth to 5, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 October 2022. Open since 2018, with 28 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 Buckinghamshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Buckinghamshire 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
HP10 9AAWhat 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, 11 October 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are keen to play and learn. They make their own choices from the activities and resources on offer and engage effectively with these. Children develop good concentration skills and maintain their interest well during activities.
For example, children enjoy the mud kitchen and role-play farm shop, where they handle and explore real vegetables. They use their physical skills as they pour items from one container to another and use tools to stir these.
Children develop a good awareness of how to take care of themselves. For example, they use tissues to clean their noses and wash their hands afterwards.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the support for children's individual needs to help engage them effectively, such as during routines, so that children receive consistently sensitive support - take steps to reduce the noise level, to help support children's needs and promote their learning further.
- 11 October 2022Good
- 30 November 2021Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 1 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Carrington 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.