Melrose Pre-school Playgroup
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Milton Keynes for children from birth to 8+, open 08:30 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2023. Open since 1997, with 43 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 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 6PAWhat 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, 31 October 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children learn to play in a very nurturing and caring environment. They feel safe and secure. Staff help them form close bonds and attachments. Children feel reassured and well cared for. They seek out their key person for cuddles when they are tired or unsure. Staff engage and interact with children positively to help develop their confidence to learn, explore and experiment in their play.
Children have a strong attitude towards their learning. They show keen interest and fascination in new experiences. They experiment, using learned knowledge to test, challenge and extend their thinking. Staff use very effective questions and positive engagement to help children think critically. For example, children experiment with movement, using bricks to build paths to walk on. Staff ask if children can use different movements to get across the bricks. Children, with confident coordination, jump and hop along the pathway. Other children use trial and error to find their way across, wobbling, falling and regaining their balance. They show high levels of determination to complete the challenge.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- use children's interests more effectively and spontaneously to fully support their communication skills n extend the support for parents to help provide a more consistent approach to children's learning and play.
- 31 October 2023Good
- 20 February 2018Good
- 14 May 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Melrose Pre-school Playgroup
- 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.