Goslings Playgroup
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Hitchin for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 08:45 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2022. Open since 1992, with 36 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Nursery Education Funding is available for 3 and 4-year-old children for their playgroup sessions the term after their third birthday (not the term in which they are three).
Worth knowing. Funded children will be billed for any extras or lunches on a per-term basis.
What childcare usually costs in Hertfordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hertfordshire 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
SG4 9HTWhat 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, 9 December 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and build secure relationships with their key person and the other staff. The staff get to know the children extremely well, which helps children feel secure. Children receive a warm welcome on arrival and settle in quickly. New children benefit from a gradual settling-in programme that staff tailor to meet the child's individual needs. Children move freely around the room and outside area to explore and develop their own ideas. Children particularly enjoy the outdoor area, where they are free to investigate natural materials as they learn about the world around them.
Staff provide children with a bright, well-organised environment. A wide range of interesting activities are attractively laid out that ignite children's curiosity and invite them to play and learn. Children behave well throughout the day. They are kind to each other and are beginning to understand the needs of their friends. Staff are on hand to support children with sharing, turn-taking and other interactions.
This means there are very few instances of poor behaviour. Staff are good role models and promote positive interactions between children. Staff are aware of children's individual needs, and they collaborate effectively with parents. These positive relationships provide continuity and support children to make good progress from their starting points.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the planning and organisation of whole-group activities, considering the needs and abilities of all children within the group, so that all are equally engaged and their learning is maximised n strengthen procedures for monitoring the completion of children's progress checks between the ages of two and three years and ensure that they are all completed in a timely manner.
- 9 December 2022Good
- 5 May 2017Good
- 27 January 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Goslings Playgroup
- What it costs
- 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
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.
- What does it cost, all in? 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.