Cuckoo Meadow Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Basingstoke 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 December 2022. Open since 2003, with 20 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 Hampshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hampshire 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
RG25 2BLWhat 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, 6 December 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are very happy entering this homely pre-school. They separate from parents with ease and settle quickly. They are greeted by friendly staff who make them feel secure and safe. Children are comfortable approaching staff and have strong relationships. Staff rotate resources each day depending on children's interests. They make good use of the spacious outside space, large field and playground. This extends children's learning opportunities and development.
Children behave well, and staff consistently reinforce their expectations. As a result, the pre-school is a calm and relaxing environment. Children interact well with each other and make friends. They demonstrate respect for staff, their peers and outside visitors, such as the local vicar.
Staff focus on developing children's social skills, as they identified this was an area impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They support children who speak English as an additional language (EAL) and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. For example, they encourage communication skills with a range of strategies, such as by using photographs and word cards. A visual timetable is available and children are encouraged to identify what is happening next. Makaton is widely used with all children to assist in their learning and understanding. This helps ensure all children are included.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop staff's skills in more consistently taking advantage of opportunities to extend children's communication and language further.
- 6 December 2022Good
- 2 May 2017Outstanding
- 3 June 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Cuckoo Meadow 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.