Little Tinkers Preschool @ Holne Chase
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Milton Keynes for from 1 year 6 months up to school age, open 08:30 to 17:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2023. Open since 2014, with 48 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
2 year old and working parents funded children.
Worth knowing. There is no additional charge for children who stay all day for lunch although parents must provide their child with a healthy packed lunch.
What childcare usually costs in Milton Keynes
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Milton Keynes 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
MK3 5HPWhat 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.
- 3 June 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 22 November 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff provide a warm and welcoming environment. Children arrive happy and confidently separate from their parents and carers. Staff greet children and their families warmly. Children show that they feel safe and secure. They make choices for themselves. Children move confidently around the available spaces and free flow from indoors to the garden.
Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and development. They provide learning opportunities to children that cover all areas of learning. Children enjoy exploring activities based around the current theme. For example, children paint pictures of space and planets and talk to staff about which planets they have painted. They take part in activities where they are supported by staff to make up stories about going to space using a range of props. Children excitedly count backwards from five as they prepare for the rocket launch.
Staff manage children's behaviour well. They recognise children's individual needs and adjust their approach to best benefit the child. Staff successfully use a variety of methods, such as visual aids, to help children to understand what is expected of them. Staff have created specific areas to help children regulate and manage their behaviour. For example, staff have a dedicated sensory area for children to use if feeling overwhelmed or wanting to have some quiet time.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen staff's understanding of how to consistently support children to develop their social skills and independence.
- 22 November 2023Good
- 8 December 2022Needs improvement
- 10 July 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Tinkers Preschool @ Holne Chase
- What it costs
- 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.
- 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.