Little Gems Pre School
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Swindon for children from birth to 8+, open 08:30 to 14:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2022. Open since 2014, with 37 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 Swindon
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Swindon 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
SN2 7QHWhat 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, 27 May 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have made positive changes. They have reflected on the way they plan and put in place the curriculum. Older and younger children now have their own play areas. Staff provide a good selection of toys and resources to meet learning needs well.
Younger children enjoy playing with toy figures from favourite books and television series. They make the family of pigs go up and down the toy slide or head off for a drive in the toy car. Then they get the figures to return home to the toy house for a rest and sleep.
Older children play races with toy vehicles. They use cardboard boxes to create a ramp from the table to the floor. Working together they realise that they can open the box to make a tunnel as well. Children share and take turns well as they play.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide clearer messages to help children understand the importance of caring for resources and their play spaces n continue to improve the way staff interact with children during activities to build on children's learning and development.
- 27 May 2022Good
- 6 December 2021Inadequate
- 1 February 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Gems 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.