Ladybird Forest Pre-School Ampthill
Good★ 3.4 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Bedford for children from birth to 8+, open 07:45 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2025. Open since 2017, with 43 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 Central Bedfordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Central Bedfordshire 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
MK45 2TDWhat 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, 7 February 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff create an exciting environment, which captivates children's attention, bringing a sense of awe and wonder to their learning. Children have a good understanding of the pre-school's routine. Staff model expected behaviour, and there is a calm atmosphere in the pre-school. Staff regularly talk to children about how they are feeling and build on their emotional literacy. A new 'calm room' provides children with a safe space where they have time to explore and control their emotions, and staff have seen how this has a positive impact on children. Staff regularly praise children for their achievements throughout the day. This helps to increase children's self-esteem.
Children benefit from outings in the local community as they build on their knowledge of the world around them. A recent visit to the local fire station brought learning to life. Children are imaginative. They pretend to make magic potions.
Using pipettes, spoons and bowls to mix different ingredients, they talk about what they have made with their friends. In the garden area, children take risks while they climb on the tyres and planks, balancing and strengthening their core muscles. During movement time indoors, children move their bodies in different ways with coloured scarves. Across the pre-school, children make excellent progress in their physical development.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen staff's knowledge of how to implement the pre-school curriculum so that they build on children's existing skills consistently well n embed strategies to provide more consistent support to all children to build on children's vocabulary and language development.
- 7 February 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 28 March 2019Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Ladybird Forest Pre-School Ampthill
- 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.