Little Fishes Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Old Harlow for children from birth to 8+, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 June 2022. Open since 2000, with 26 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 Essex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Essex 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
CM17 0JRWhat 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, 10 June 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
All children are happy to enter the setting on arrival and excitedly go off to play.
Teachers take time to get to know each individual child and use a variety of teaching methods to support the children to make good progress. Children demonstrate high levels of engagement in activities and are curious about what is going on around them. For example, they ask teachers questions about things they notice. Children are confident to move between activities and play with the activities on offer.
Children demonstrate learning by regularly recalling what is learned in small groups and during free play. They enjoy talking about past activities they have taken part in. For example, children talk excitedly about the sunflowers they planted at preschool, which they are growing at home. They also demonstrate a clear understanding of the routine of the pre-school, the behavioural expectations and rules and boundaries. This supports them to behave impeccably. They are kind and courteous towards their peers and their teachers.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- give children more opportunities to guide their own learning by making choices and decisions about what they do and the resources they want to use.
- 10 June 2022Good
- 21 March 2016Good
- 15 October 2015Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Fishes 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.