First Friends Pre School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Sudbury 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 September 2024. Open since 2005, with 30 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
CO10 0RRWhat 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, 10 September 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are excited as they enter the vibrant pre-school environment. They are greeted by smiling staff who take time to welcome them and to ask how they are.
Even very new children attending for their first week in pre-school enter confidently and seek other children to form small friendship groups with. Staff observe these interactions and help any less confident children to join in. Children move at ease from the pre-school room to the fun and well-presented garden, where they engage in purposeful play across all seven areas of learning.
Staff plan an ambitious curriculum based on what they know about children's interests, likes and dislikes. They make use of events and trips to extend the children's communication skills. For example, following the local scarecrow show within the village, staff present resources and books to encourage children to speak about the scarecrows they have seen. They use the information shared by parents about new children's interests to help those children to settle and feel comfortable with familiar toys. Children who need to bring a comforter with them are encouraged to do so and to place it in a 'special place' pocket for easy access when needed.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen and embed the programme of professional development to support staff in further developing their knowledge, confidence and skills to a consistently high level n review transition times to provide children with clear information about changes to the routine.
- 10 September 2024Good
- 20 September 2018Good
- 4 December 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for First Friends 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.