Hopscotch Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Chichester for children from birth to 5, open 08:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 December 2023. Open since 1999, with 30 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 West Sussex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West Sussex 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
PO20 3YAWhat 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, 1 December 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happily to the pre-school and are warmly welcomed by the staff team. They quickly choose from a range of available activities. Staff work hard to find out about children's interests and learning needs. They use this information to plan experiences they know children will enjoy. For instance, they identify that children are interested in a popular television show and provide the children with the characters and buildings in their small-world area. Children spend time playing imaginatively with the characters while adults sit alongside them supporting their learning.
Staff ensure that children spend time being physically active. They have access to large climbing apparatus inside the pre-school and ride-on toys in the garden area.
Children are comfortable in the environment. They know what is expected of them and are familiar with the routine that has been embedded by the staff. For example, when children have finished at the craft table, they know to place their work on the drying rack. Staff support children's behaviour well. They treat children sensitively and adapt their routine based on the needs of the children. As a result, children's behaviour is good and they demonstrate high levels of engagement.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the curriculum for mathematics to help children make even better progress n enhance opportunities for children to develop independence through daily routines.
- 1 December 2023Good
- 6 March 2018Good
- 31 January 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Hopscotch 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.