Daisy Chain Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Ipswich 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 July 2021, though that is 5 years ago now. Open since 1974, with 24 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 Suffolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Suffolk 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
IP4 3HEWhat 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 July 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are confident and settle quickly. They happily leave their parents at the main gate and enter the pre-school, eagerly greeting staff and their friends.
Children have good independence skills. They hang up their coats and know that they need to find their name to put on the registration board.
Children have good relationships with their key person and the other staff. They enjoy reassuring cuddles and take their favourite book to staff for them to read, which helps to support early literacy skills. Children learn simple mathematical concepts as they identify shapes and colours. They use number language freely in their play. Children tell staff that their sandcastles are 'little' or 'big' and compare the sizes of the small world animals.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance staff's knowledge and skills to provide educational experiences that meet all children's needs, particularly when they are outside and taking part in group activities.
- 6 July 2021Good
- 4 July 2019Needs improvement
- 17 June 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Daisy Chain 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.