Holding Hands Pre-School
OutstandingTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Amersham for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 17:15, 6 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in October 2022. Open since 2016, with 40 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 Buckinghamshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Buckinghamshire 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
HP7 0HRWhat 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 October 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children access an exciting, varied and interesting curriculum because leaders and staff place children's needs and interests at the heart of their planning. As a result, children are constantly engaged and completely immersed in their learning. There is an atmosphere of fun, warmth and happiness that is strongly instilled by leaders and staff. Children are greeted with extreme warmth when they arrive, and staff take a genuine interest in what they share about their home lives. Consequently, children settle quickly into their play and are completely self-assured.
Children's behaviour is excellent. There is a strong focus on supporting children's emotional well-being. Staff provide ample opportunities to help children express and understand their emotions. This includes regular mindfulness sessions, and a sensory room called the 'Pod', where children can take 'time out' and relax if they are feeling overwhelmed.
Children have access to an abundance of rich experiences that help them to learn about the world around them. Staff plan weekly outings and are meticulous in ensuring there are clear learning intentions from these activities to help expand children's knowledge and experiences. For example, children visit museums and learn about how local people used to live historically. They use public transport to visit nature reserves, which they have had less opportunity to do over the COVID19 pandemic. They learn the value of money and about the food they eat, as they buy seeds from the local market and grow and nurture the plants in their garden.
- 13 October 2022Outstanding
- 9 May 2018Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Holding Hands Pre-School
- What it costs
- 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.
- What does it cost, all in? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.