Ford Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Berwick-Upon-Tweed 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 November 2021. Open since 2004, with 16 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 Northumberland
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Northumberland 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
TD15 2QAWhat 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, 11 November 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and settled at this friendly and welcoming pre-school. There is a strong focus on their well-being. For example, children learn about healthy eating as they grow their own fruit and vegetables in the large, enclosed garden. Children plant, water and harvest potatoes before helping to cook them in various ways.
They help bake crumbles and press juice from fruit from the pre-school's apple trees. Children make a list of ingredients they need and visit the shops with staff to buy them. There is a strong focus on taking turns and playing cooperatively together. Expectations of children are high and their behaviour is good. Strong bonds with staff help children feel emotionally secure. They are praised by staff for their achievements. This helps develop their confidence and self-esteem.
Children are encouraged to make their own choices. For example, they choose between different fruits at snack time and decide which toys they would like to play with next. Children benefit from daily fresh air and exercise. Support for their physical development is strong. Children strengthen their muscles to prepare them for later tasks, such as early writing. They balance and stretch on monkey bars and use a climbing wall. Children paint and make marks with large chalks. This helps develop their smaller movements and coordination.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- plan more effectively at group times to better support younger children's speaking and listening skills.
- 11 November 2021Good
- 13 December 2019Needs improvement
- 23 June 2015Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Ford 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.