Ladybirds Pre School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Bedford for children from birth to 5, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2024. Open since 1996, 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 Bedford
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Bedford 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
MK42 9XPWhat 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, 17 April 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff warmly welcome children on their arrival at the pre-school. They immediately support the children's developing independence and sense of responsibility. For example, children remove their outdoor clothing and register themselves into the group by finding their individual name card. Staff readily help children who need extra support. Older children demonstrate that they can recognise their name. Staff actively support children to manage their feelings and play cooperatively with their peers. Children sensibly line up to take their turn on the slide and patiently wait for their turn to use the ride-on toys.
Staff create a learning environment that captivates the interests of the children.
This encourages children to explore and investigate the activities provided. For example, staff support children to understand how plants and flowers grow. They successfully introduce vocabulary, such as 'stem' and 'petal' and encourage the children to draw pictures of the flowers displayed. Children demonstrate pride in their achievements. They smile and want to share their pictures with the staff. Staff provide daily opportunities for the children to be physically active in the fresh air.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to use every opportunity to extend children's learning during spontaneous play activities n review the organisation of routines to better meet children's individual needs and learning outcomes.
- 17 April 2024Good
- 11 June 2018Good
- 5 March 2018Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Ladybirds 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.