Longthorpe Preschool
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Peterborough 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 1994, with 30 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 Peterborough
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Peterborough 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
PE3 6LUWhat 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 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children receive a warm welcome from staff as they arrive at the pre-school and eagerly explore the various activities available to them. They soon become settled, happy and engaged in their chosen activity. Children enjoy the company of the experienced staff and demonstrate their trust and security in them as they engage in risk taking. For example, following a minibeast hunt, children are encouraged to hold the minibeasts and enjoy the tickling feeling they make as they wriggle around on their palms.
Children enjoy listening to stories and looking at books throughout the day. They access books, both indoors and outside, and benefit from focus stories that staff introduce over the term to build children's literacy skills. For example, characters and repetitive phrases are available on a storyboard for children to recap and sequence the events. Staff have created a library in the pre-school where children choose books to take home and share with their parents.
Children enjoy playing and exploring in the home corner, which is enhanced with familiar items for the children to access. For instance, staff have created scented bags of herbs and spices, and provide food packets that represent those at home.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance staff understanding and practice of how to help children develop a wide and varied vocabulary.
- 30 June 2022Good
- 21 September 2016Good
- 7 December 2012Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Longthorpe Preschool
- 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.