Masons Preschool
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Croydon for children from birth to 8+, open 08:45 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2023. Open since 2015, 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 Croydon
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Croydon 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
CR0 8TSWhat 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 April 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and are warmly welcomed by staff. This helps them to feel safe and secure. They leave their parents confidently and are excited and eager to explore the broad range of interesting activities and resources. Overall, staff have high expectations for all children. For example, children concentrate as they sort toys into their matching colours. They confidently use knives and learn how to cut their fruit in half. Children develop their early mathematical skills. They are making good progress and developing well. Children enjoy free-flow access between the inside and outside environments. They explore nature and extend their own thoughts and ideas as they play.
Staff support children to safely take risks. For instance, children delight in climbing trees and learn how to manoeuvre around the garden using a range of different bicycles. Children show kindness to their friends in this inclusive pre-school. They are aware of the impact of their behaviour on others. Children listen to instructions and behave well. They relish the opportunity to watch the changes in the live caterpillars as they grow and develop. Children confidently describe how the caterpillars will change into butterflies. This helps to build on their understanding of life cycles.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance opportunities for children to share more about the languages, traditions and cultural practices they experience at home n review the arrangements during daily routines to help children understand the importance of tidying up resources and caring for their play spaces n enhance further staff's understanding of the curriculum to plan clear learning intentions, to help all children become and remain highly engaged in their learning.
- 27 April 2023Good
- 9 October 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Masons 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.