Hightown Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Luton for children from birth to 5, open 08:30 to 16:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2023. Open since 2014, with 36 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 Luton
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Luton 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
LU2 0BWWhat 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, 13 July 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happily at the start of their day. They independently find their names as part of the self-registration process before quickly settling down to an activity of their choosing. Children form meaningful bonds with the staff team and turn to staff for hugs and reassurance, if needed, throughout the day.
There is a strong focus on building children's communication and language skills at the pre-school. Staff consistently use sign language to communicate alongside spoken words. This supports those children who find it difficult to communicate verbally or those who speak English as an additional language. Staff introduce new vocabulary to children at relevant times. For example, they speak to children about the 'gingham' pattern on school dresses as the children prepare for their move on to school.
Children learn about risks around them. A daily helper works with staff to complete risk assessments, moving around the room to check for any hazards. Children learn to negotiate stairs safely from a young age as they move between the garden and the rooms upstairs. Staff adapt the process to meet children's individual needs. As a result, children confidently understand how to transition from indoors to outdoors. They behave well as they wait patiently against the wall for another group of children to return upstairs.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- help staff to consistently respond to children's cues and interests and adapt their teaching to maximise children's learning.
- 13 July 2023Good
- 8 December 2017Good
- 22 March 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Hightown 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.