Happy Days Pre-School Playgroup
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in East Preston 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 June 2024. Open since 1992, with 30 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 West Sussex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West Sussex 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
BN16 1HUWhat 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, 27 June 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy, busy and confident. They establish secure relationships with staff who are deeply caring and responsive. Children spend their time engaged in meaningful learning and regularly invite staff to share the experiences with them.
Children develop strong friendships and enjoy each other's company. For example, children work in collaboration as they build an intricate house out of bricks. They listen to each other's ideas and value each other's contribution, as they watch their building evolve. This demonstrates that children feel safe and secure.
Staff provide children with a wide range of opportunities to develop early mathematical knowledge. This provides children with a secure foundation to support future learning. For example, during a drawing activity, staff and children explore shapes together. Children compare similar shapes, such as an oval and circle, and consider what makes them differ from each other. Staff enhance children's learning by introducing new language such as 'semi-circle', as children cut their circles in half.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide children with clear explanations as to why rules are important, so they have the knowledge they need to make positive and good decisions.
- 27 June 2024Good
- 31 October 2018Good
- 19 October 2017Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Happy Days Pre-School Playgroup
- 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.