Cygnets Preschool
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Burton upon Trent 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 January 2024. Open since 2016, with 36 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 Staffordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Staffordshire 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
DE15 0JAWhat 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, 23 January 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children beam with excitement to see staff from the pre-school greet them at the door. Staff welcome them in using the children's home language. This gives children, who may speak English as an additional language, a sense of belonging.
Children can make independent choices about their learning and play. Activities provided ignite their interest and curiosity for learning. Children learn early mathematical concepts as they investigate different shapes and colours. Staff skilfully play alongside the children and become a part of their imaginative role play. They support children and enhance their experiences. For example, children show an interest in the small-world post office. Staff enhance this by making small paper letters for children to post through the letterbox. Consequently, children are highly engaged and spend sustained periods of time at their chosen activity.
Children are highly motivated and keen learners. They enjoy singing songs and listening to stories. Staff read stories which children love and know very well. Staff leave gaps for children to say the word which comes next. Children feel safe and secure. Staff are kind and caring. They offer reassurance and cuddles when children clamber onto their knees. The pre-school has access to a fully secure garden space, where children can continue to practise and develop their physical skills. Activities such as 'funky fingers' help to support the development of small muscle skills, which children need for eventual pen control and writing.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to consider different ways of questioning children which allow them time to think and respond using the sentence structures they are learning n continue to build on the already good partnerships with parents by sharing more information about children's next steps and support for their learning at home, so children can make even better progress.
- 23 January 2024Good
- 23 April 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Cygnets 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.