Inkspots Early Years
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Hungerford for children from birth to 8+, open 08:30 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2024. Open since 2005, with 12 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 Berkshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West Berkshire 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
RG17 9QEWhat 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, 29 January 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children benefit from their time at pre-school. The small setting is inclusive and welcoming. It offers a broad curriculum that spans all seven areas of learning effectively. Staff offer a variety of outings, including visits to a local farm and the local forest-school area. They regularly use the well-planned outdoor classroom and nature area that offer learning opportunities that take full advantage of the local environment.
Children demonstrate that they feel happy and emotionally secure. Staff have high expectations for all children. They encourage children to be as independent as possible and to make individual choices. For example, during group time, children explain to their friends what they would like to play with. Children make friends easily. They show each other kindness and respect. For instance, they listen to one another during activities and show awareness of their 'golden values' to be kind and helpful. Staff adapt activities for different ages and abilities. They encourage children to 'have a go', which gives children the confidence to try. During an activity that focuses on number sequences, the youngest children know they can count the quantities of the objects to determine the number. Older children are keen to order numbers, determine when one is out of sequence and count backwards. They use learned methods to explain that the figure 8 looks like 'snowman' and that the figure 6 'points up'.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen coaching and support to help guide all staff to be more confident and precise in their teaching.
- 29 January 2024Good
- 22 March 2018Good
- 27 June 2017Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Inkspots Early Years
- 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.