Jiminy Crickets Pre-School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Thatcham for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. £8.50 an hour for ages 2–3, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2023. Open since 1990, with 20 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, minimum 2 days a week.
| Age | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| Ages 2–32y to 3y | £8.50£8.50 per hour | |
| Ages 3–43y to 4y | £8.00£8.00 per hour |
Funded hours
Up to 15 hours of free childcare per week (over 38 weeks), for children aged from 2 years onwards.
What childcare usually costs in Hampshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hampshire 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
RG19 8BEWhat 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.
- 26 June 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 23 May 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are made to feel safe, secure and very welcome by the kind and nurturing staff. Children receive all the support they need to settle and enjoy their time at pre-school. Staff are extremely sensitive to the needs of those children who find the transition from home to pre-school more difficult. Staff adapt routines and work closely with parents to meet the specific needs of these children. As a result, they learn to enjoy pre-school as much as their peers and make really good progress with their social skills. Children behave well. They benefit from being cared for by staff who consistently model good manners, such as how to greet visitors. Staff know the value of children understanding what happens when, and why. They embed routines effectively and, as a result, children cooperate with them swiftly and happily. This enhances the fun, yet purposeful and orderly, atmosphere.
Staff want all children to achieve to their best ability, including children who may need extra help to do so. Children benefit from taking part in an effective mix of adult-led and child-initiated learning experiences, planned to prepare them well for the next stage in their learning. Children are especially well supported in their personal, social and emotional development. Staff are very effective in helping children learn to share, take turns and understand how they and others may be feeling.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide children with more focused support to gain the skills and confidence they need to use large equipment safely, confidently and purposefully, to enhance their physical development further n identify more precisely the intended learning for some activities, so staff can focus their teaching more effectively on helping children learn well about the topic being taught.
- 23 May 2023Good
- 11 October 2017Good
- 2 October 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Jiminy Crickets Pre-School
- 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 £8.50 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.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.