Harrold Preschool
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Bedford for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open sessions in term time, often mornings. £42.00 a day, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2021. Open since 2014, with 24 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Full day | Session | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | £42.00per day | £21.00per |
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £7.00 a session Lunch Clubwhen extending a morning only session
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
30 hours for working parents; all children, the term after they turn 3, automatically qualify for at least 15 hours funding regardless of parents work status.
What childcare usually costs in Bedford
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Bedford 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
MK43 7DBWhat 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, 3 December 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The pre-school staff are welcoming, warm and friendly. Children enter the preschool enthusiastically and get ready for the start of their morning. Children complete a risk assessment with staff. For example, they check that there are fire extinguishers in different areas of the pre-school. This helps children to understand how to keep themselves safe. Children practice good hygiene as they wipe their noses and clean their hands at the 'snuffle station'. Children concentrate on and explore activities for long periods of time. They fill and empty containers of water and talk about how full they are. Others use rice in the home corner to pretend to make different meals and serve them to each other. Children enjoy playing in the garden and they have access to a range of good resources. Children invite staff into their 'hairdressers'. They talk about what they would like 'doing' with their hair and work together to create the 'do' asked for. This helps children to develop their imaginative skills, using their real-life experiences. Relationships between children are very respectful and they are kind to each other.
Staff create many opportunities for speech and language development. They speak to children face to face to ensure good eye contact. Children have ample time to respond to questions to allow time for thinking. Staff skilfully weave early writing skills throughout the pre-school activities. Children sing songs and move their arms in big movements. They have opportunities to manipulate objects to build up smallmuscle strength. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the pre-school remained open for children moving on to school. Staff communicated with all children and families during this time through phone calls and emails, and provided activity ideas. Staff adapt their practice to help children adjust and settle following COVID19 absences.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: - help staff to better support and engage with children of differing abilities during spontaneous play.
- 3 December 2021Good
- 9 November 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Harrold Preschool
- 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 £42.00 a day 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.
- 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.