Little Sparks Preschool
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Norwich for children from birth to 8+, open 08:50 to 15:10, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2023. Open since 2015, with 32 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
All 3&4 year old children are entiled to 15 hours of 'universal' funding (the term after their 3rd birthday) for 38 weeks of the year. If eligible, parents will also be able to claim 15 hours of 'extended' funding for 38 weeks of the year. No charge will be made for this service.
Worth knowing. No charge will be made for this service.
What childcare usually costs in Norfolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Norfolk 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
NR5 8YBWhat 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, 3 February 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive with big smiles and enter the pre-school happily. They settle quickly and become absorbed in their chosen activities. Toddlers investigate the role play kitchen. They arrange pretend food onto baking trays and tell staff, 'the oven is hot'. Pre-school children dress up in hats and costumes. They scoop sand and pour it through sand wheels. Children sit in cosy tents to look at books. They turn the pages carefully and point to pictures they recognise.
Children are very happy and settled. They confidently talk to the inspector, showing that they feel safe. They cuddle closely with their friends and hold hands.
They express opinions about which toys are their favourites. Children participate in good morning routines and tell staff, 'the weather is cloudy'. Staff engage children in two-way conversations. They ask children questions, such as, 'what did you have for breakfast today?'
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to minimise disruption to toddler's learning so that they benefit from meaningful learning at all times n provide children with further opportunities to allow them to be even more independent n enhance children's understanding of good hygiene practices throughout the setting.
- 3 February 2023Good
- 5 July 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Sparks Preschool
- What it costs
- 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
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.
- What does it cost, all in? 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.
- 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.