Hilmarton Preschool
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Calne for children from birth to 5, open 08:45 to 14:45, 5 days a week. £4.80 an hour for under 3, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2025. Open since 2017, with 24 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Term time only, 38 weeks a year.
| Age | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3birth to 3y | £4.80Fees for children under 3 | |
| Over 33y to 5y | £4.50Fees for children over 3 |
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £3.00 Early Riser Drop Off
Funded hours
15 hours for 3-4 year olds, 30 hours for eligible working parents of 3-4 year olds, 15 hours for eligible working parents of 2-year-olds (30 hours from September 2025), and 15 hours for 2-year-olds of families needing support.
Worth knowing. We only claim the funding during term time.
What childcare usually costs in Wiltshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Wiltshire 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
SN11 8SQWhat 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, 12 September 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thoroughly enjoy attending the pre-school. They benefit from the calm, inclusive and welcoming environment that staff provide. Children arrive happy and demonstrate their developing independence as they hang up their coats. They quickly settle and engage with different activities in the room. Children form strong bonds with staff and show that they feel safe and secure. Staff take time to get to know each child and tailor settling-in sessions to meet individual needs. Children engage well with staff and are keen to explore, showing increasing levels of attention.
Children show respect towards staff and their peers. They learn to share and take turns as they play. Children are familiar with the pre-school routine and know what is expected. This helps them feel safe and secure in the environment. Children have good opportunities to learn how to manage risk for themselves, such as climbing trees in the forest sessions. Children learn about healthy eating. For example, they take part in cooking activities. Staff help children to gain a good understanding of the world. They plant vegetables and sunflowers with children to teach them how things grow. Staff teach children about people in the community, such as postmen and shop keepers. They do this through informative discussion, storytelling and on walks around the local community.
Staff know the children well and regularly assess their learning and development.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen opportunities for younger children to join in all conversations to develop their confidence and enhance their developing language skills.
- 12 September 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 16 December 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Hilmarton Preschool
- 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
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 £4.80 an hour 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.
- 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.