Little Gems Pre-School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Luton for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 09:10 to 15:10, 5 days a week. £21.00 a session for 2 year olds, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2025. Open since 2017, with 38 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Term time only, 38 weeks a year.
| Age | Session | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 year olds2y to 3y | £21.002 year olds chargeable | |
| 3 and 4 year olds3y to 4y | £20.003 and 4 year olds chargeable |
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £0.50 a session Sundries (voluntary/additional extra)
- £2.50 a day School Dinners
- £3.50 a session Additional lunch sessionNot chargeable for 30 hour children or if it falls within child's
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
15/30 hours funding for 3-4 year olds and 15 hours for 2 year old funded children.
Worth knowing. You may have to pay for extra costs like meals, sundries or trips.
What childcare usually costs in Luton
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Luton 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
LU2 9TBWhat 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, 30 June 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
All children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND), quickly develop a positive sense of well-being at this pre-school. Staff are caring and enthusiastic. They greet children warmly when they arrive and welcome them inside. Children develop secure relationships with staff that contribute to their confidence. During story times, children listen intently and show delight when staff praise them for pointing out things they see in the pictures. With staff's encouragement, children explore textures such as sand. Staff show children how to press sand into a bucket and quickly turn it over to create a sandcastle. Staff talk to children to help them learn about how to develop a healthy lifestyle. For example, children are eager to join in with discussions and songs before they brush their teeth.
Staff reflect on the curriculum and each child's next steps in learning when they plan and evaluate activities. Children benefit from how staff adapt the planning to acknowledge children's interests and extend their understanding. When children are keen to take part in boisterous play, staff plan activities that link to children's favourite superheroes. This enhances children's learning about positive and cooperative play. The caring and supportive approach from staff helps children form friendships at pre-school. Children help their friends put an apron on for craft activities and share the craft materials.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen staff's interactions to help them promote and encourage children's conversational skills during play and activities.
- 30 June 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 7 November 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Gems Pre-School
- 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 £21.00 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.