Little Badgers Preschool
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Reading for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 16:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2023. Open since 2015, with 57 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 Reading
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Reading 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
RG31 6JHWhat 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, 24 April 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
All children attending the pre-school demonstrate that they are happy and feel safe. They enter the pre-school with confidence after being warmly welcomed by staff. Children play and explore with ease. They make their own decisions in play and clearly enjoy what is on offer. Overall, staff place a good focus on supporting children's communication and language development. All children, including those with additional funding, are very well supported by staff.
Children have daily access to the outdoor areas. Outside, they show excitement as they feel and explore the different textures, such as mud, wooden logs and leaves, sand and water. Children of all ages are seen concentrating well as they explore with tools, dig and fill containers and create 'mud muffins'. These learning opportunities help to strengthen their imagination and small physical skills, which in turn supports their early writing skills. Children benefit from a wide range of opportunities and experiences that help to broaden their knowledge and skills. Staff plan and talk to them about various topics to build on what they already know. For instance, as part of their eco ethos, children help make compost by recycling their food waste, and then use it to grow peas and create a wormery.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- make the most of existing opportunities to fully promote opportunities to help develop children's thinking and problem-solving skills n monitor staff practice more closely so that support and guidance for staff can focus more precisely on raising the quality of the curriculum and teaching.
- 24 April 2023Good
- 11 September 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Badgers Preschool
- 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.