Glenfall Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Cheltenham for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2024. Open since 2001, with 15 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 Gloucestershire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Gloucestershire 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
GL52 6XZWhat 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, 12 March 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle with ease in this calm, nurturing environment that staff create for them. On arrival, staff warmly greet children and give parents time to share any important information. This helps staff to meet children's needs effectively for their day at the pre-school. Children confidently explore the playroom and seek favoured activities to engage with. Parents leave knowing their children are happy and well supported.
The manager and staff have worked hard to create and implement an ambitious curriculum that they base around the needs of all the children. Staff identify what they want the children to learn and weave this into their daily activities alongside children's interests. For example, staff create an activity based around dinosaurs and melting ice. While harbouring the children's interests, staff teach children about how ice is made, how it melts and how they can make it melt faster. Children also develop their small-muscle skills ready for early writing when they use pipettes to collect and squirt water.
Children behave well. They are respectful of others and create meaningful relationships. Children in the home corner create a narrative of 'mums and dads'.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support children's understanding of expectations more effectively during group times and routine transitions, to help them engage with purpose and remain calm and focused.
- 12 March 2024Good
- 3 May 2023Needs improvement
- 4 November 2022Inadequate
- 10 May 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 4 graded inspections.
Still missing for Glenfall 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.