Little Bears Pre-School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Oxford for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. £18.50 a session, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2023. Open since 2003, with 24 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
For children who are not eligible for government funding, our fees are £18.50 per 3-hour session .
One published rate. What you pay depends on the days you need and the funded hours you can claim.
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
15 Hours Free for 3 and 4-Year-Olds; 30 Hours Free for 2, 3 and 4-Year-Olds; Funding for 2-Year-Olds on Additional Support.
Worth knowing. You must provide us with your eligibility code before the start of the term . Codes need to be renewed every 3 months.
What childcare usually costs in Oxfordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Oxfordshire 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
OX44 7XLWhat 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, 13 September 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff enthusiastically ensure that children enjoy their time in this friendly and inclusive pre-school. They are cared for and nurtured by staff, who provide a positive start in a stimulating and inviting environment. Staff support children to feel safe in their surroundings. Children form close bonds with the caring staff and are comfortable seeking out staff and asking for support when necessary. They confidently follow the daily routines and chat freely with staff and their friends about events they can recall.
Children enjoy exploring a wide range of activities, both indoors and outdoors. Staff plan experiences to build on children's learning and understanding, which helps to support children's positive attitudes to learning. For example, children take risks as they explore a range of climbing apparatus and obstacles in the garden, and they are extremely proud as they skilfully balance along planks and tyres.
Staff help children to learn to share and take turns. They provide consistent praise for children's efforts and kindness, acting as positive role models. Children behave well. They receive consistent boundaries from staff, which helps them to understand the expectations for their behaviour. Children help to put resources away when they have finished playing, and they help staff to set the table at snack time. They develop their independence, as they are supported to pour their own drinks and serve their own fruit.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: ensure the required procedures are followed to supply Ofsted with the information necessary to check the suitability of all committee members. (by 04/10/2023)
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- build on the already good practice to enhance methods of coaching and mentoring for staff, to focus on recognising the most of learning opportunities during activities and further raise the quality of teaching n enhance children's experiences of the local and wider community to support their understanding of the world.
- 13 September 2023Good
- 28 February 2018Good
- 4 March 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Bears 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 £18.50 a session 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.