Eaton Elephants Playgroup
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Norwich 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 June 2023. Open since 2003, with 26 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 Norfolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Norfolk 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
NR4 6HUWhat 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, 13 June 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at the playgroup excited to start their day. They are welcomed by friendly staff and quickly separate from their parents. Children hang up their belongings and settle down for group time. They display good behaviour and follow the daily routines. Children are becoming increasingly independent as they tend to their own self-care needs. They are motivated and make choices as they access a variety of activities indoors and in the outdoor area. For example, children concentrate on making 'potions' with water and foliage. They recognise and mix colours as they fill and empty a variety of containers and show excitement as the colours change. Children lead their own play. They play with toy dinosaurs and collect resources to make a dinosaur habitat.
The children have developed close relationships with their key person and enjoy playing alongside them. Staff know their key children well and adapt activities to set appropriate challenge for individual children. Children have a wide range of opportunities to engage in their local community and the wider world around them.
For example, children learn about people who help us through visits from the community police officer. They walk to the local supermarket, where they learn about the origin of fruit and vegetables and make healthy choices about snack items.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen partnerships with parents to ensure that they receive more frequent information about how to support their children's learning at home.
- 13 June 2023Good
- 3 November 2017Good
- 9 December 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Eaton Elephants Playgroup
- 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.