Hand In Hand Preschool (Oak Centre)
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Leicester 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 2016, with 25 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 Leicester
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Leicester 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
LE3 1QAWhat 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.
- 10 January 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 10 September 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy as they arrive at pre-school. They quickly settle in and choose from the range of activities provided. Children behave well. They follow instructions when staff ask them to line up to go outside. Staff model how to use their manners as they say thank you to children who make food for them in the play kitchen.
Children learn to keep themselves safe as staff teach them why it is important to hold scissors correctly. Children laugh and giggle as they enjoy popping bubbles with their friends. They ask staff for more.
Children make good progress from their starting points. They are becoming confident communicators. Staff ask children open-ended questions and give them time to think about their answers. Children participate in daily song time which helps them to learn new vocabulary. They enjoy copying the actions that staff make and learning about different animals. Children learn to think critically as staff teach them how to twist and turn puzzle pieces to fit them on to a board. Older children are beginning to understand more complex concepts as staff teach them which surfaces are magnetic. They enjoy building shapes from magnetic tiles and then sticking these to the fence outdoors.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- improve the organisation of focused group time to take into account how well children can concentrate and fully participate n support children to become more independent with their self-care skills, and teach them the importance of washing their hands, for example, after blowing their nose.
- 10 September 2024Good
- 19 September 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Hand In Hand Preschool (Oak Centre)
- 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.