Downside Pre-School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Dunstable for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 07:30 to 15:15, 5 days a week. £8.10 an hour, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2024. Open since 2021, with 44 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
The cost of the pre school is £8.10 an hour and this is payable in advance weekly.
One published rate. What you pay depends on the days you need and the funded hours you can claim.
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
All 3 and 4 year old children are entitled to 15 totally free hours starting the term after their 2nd or 3rd birthday. If you are a working parent /guardian, you may be eligible for free funding up to 30 hours per week.
Worth knowing. You can choose to have your child stay for lunch, either as part of the funded hours or you can pay extra to extend your child’s morning or afternoon session to include lunch. The children are required to bring a packed lunch which they eat with their friends. We provide them with water to drink.
What childcare usually costs in Central Bedfordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Central Bedfordshire 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
LU5 4ASWhat Ofsted said
Last inspected on 19 January 2024.
Good
Ofsted's expected standard. Most settings in England are rated Good.
Still missing for Downside Pre-School
- 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Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date.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 £8.10 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.