Great Bowden Pre-School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Market Harborough for children from birth to 5, open sessions in term time, often mornings. £6.00 an hour, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2024. Open since 1984, with 28 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Cost: The cost per hour is £6.00.
One published rate. What you pay depends on the days you need and the funded hours you can claim.
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
15 or 30 hours (depending on what they are entitled to).
Worth knowing. If they do not do more than 15 or 30 hours (depending on what they are entitled to) there will be no additional charge, apart from outings and parties.
What childcare usually costs in Leicestershire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Leicestershire 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
LE16 7ETWhat 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 December 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children show that they feel secure with the caring staff. They seek out staff for cuddles and reassurance when needed. Staff listen to children's conversations carefully and respond warmly. They provide good support for children's emotional well-being. For instance, they encourage children to think about their emotions, using 'colour monsters' to represent feelings. Children say, 'I feel blue and I want to feel yellow.' Staff help children to build their resilience and start to manage their own behaviour. They are positive role models who are kind and respectful.
Staff want children to develop their independence. For example, children practise pouring drinks at snack time. They serve fruit and vegetables for themselves.
Children find their name cards to place on the table while they eat, and replace them in a basket afterwards. Staff encourage children to help with tidying away resources. Children are eager to carry out tasks and show a sense of belonging in the welcoming setting.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the impact of teaching and learning to better inform the planning of precise next steps for children n strengthen the existing supervision arrangements for staff, to focus more strongly on supporting their individual support needs n enhance the organisation of group activities to ensure that children are fully engaged throughout.
- 10 December 2024Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 15 January 2019Good
- 17 September 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Great Bowden Pre-School
- 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
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.
- Is £6.00 an hour still the rate? 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.
- 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.