Happy Tots Pre School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Ipswich for children from birth to 5, open 07:30 to 16:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2021. Open since 2005, with 38 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 Suffolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Suffolk 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
IP3 9LXWhat 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, 21 October 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
All children learn that they are special and unique. Staff expertly support children to develop their confidence and self-esteem. They use many techniques to help children to celebrate their achievements. A wide variety of additional activities, including gymnastics, forest schools, rugby, football and yoga, give children opportunities to find out what their talents and interests are. A newly created sensory room provides children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND) with a dedicated space to have their individual therapies and learning interventions. It is quiet and cosy. This helps to promote their ability to concentrate and learn.
All areas of the pre-school are inviting and comfortable. Children feel at ease as they choose what they would like to play with and where. They develop their smallmuscle skills. For example, they eagerly join in with sawing, turning screws and hammering golfing tees into a carved pumpkin. Children make marks freely. They fetch clipboards and pens to draw a picture of their 'block bridge'. A group of children work together, finding the puzzle pieces in a large alphabet puzzle. Staff encourage them by telling them the initial sounds of the item they need to find.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review how adult-led story and singing activities are delivered to the youngest and less-able children to enhance their meaningful engagement, learning and enjoyment.
- 21 October 2021Good
- 12 December 2017Good
- 21 October 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Happy Tots 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.