Chestnut Playgroup
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Linton for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 09:00 to 14:30, 5 days a week. £8.50 an hour for 2 year olds, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2025. Open since 1999, with 24 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 year olds2y to 3y | £8.502 year olds | |
| 3-4 year olds3y to 4y | £7.903-4 year olds |
Before you start
One-off charges to take a place.
- £20.00 Registration Feeunless fully funded on starting
Funded hours
Universal '15 hours' (to be taken over three days, including lunchtimes), and Extended '30 hours' funding up to the 27.5 hours a week we are open. We also accept children who receive 2 year old funding.
Worth knowing. Universal '15 hours' to be taken over three days, including lunchtimes.
What childcare usually costs in Cambridgeshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Cambridgeshire 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
CB21 4LUWhat 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, 9 May 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children have a strong sense of belonging at the playgroup. Staff take time to greet children personally as they arrive and gather relevant information from parents to ensure that children's needs are understood and met from the outset.
Children settle quickly and show they have positive relationships with staff.
Throughout the day, routines are well embedded, and transitions are calmly managed. Staff use strategies, such as a tambourine cue, that help children anticipate changes in activities, ensuring structure and helping children to feel secure. Staff manage any behaviour issues between children swiftly, helping them to understand what is expected of them and form positive relationships with their peers.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: - support staff to refine learning opportunities that align more consistently with supporting children's next steps n guide staff in planning focused activities more effectively so that children get the most out of these learning experiences.
- 9 May 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 13 June 2019Good
- 30 June 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Chestnut Playgroup
- Meals
- Nappies
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.
- Is £8.50 an hour still the rate? 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.