Orbital Pre School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Watford 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 July 2024. Open since 1992, 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 Hertfordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hertfordshire 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
WD25 7QUWhat 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, 16 July 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and settled and make good progress in this welcoming preschool. Staff thoughtfully plan the environment to suit children's different needs and interests. For example, the recognisable, consistent 'home corner' resources help younger children to feel secure and comforted. Children react to the positive environment created by staff. They work well together, organising their play and concentrating on this. For instance, children organise a hopscotch game and work together to mark this out with chalks. They line up and take turns, challenging themselves further by adding cones to jump over.
Staff support children well in learning to understand their emotions and manage their behaviour. Children reflect this sensitive approach and are kind and caring. For example, older children show younger ones the toy bugs, passing them magnifying glasses and showing them how to use these. Staff supervise children well, offering explanations about safety so that children build a good understanding of this. For instance, younger children playing with the toy kitchen understand why it could be dangerous to place toys on top of the equipment. Children are gaining a practical appreciation of healthy practices. Visits from a dentist help children to understand how to clean their teeth properly and the importance of this.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to further extend children's play and make the most of all learning opportunities to fully promote children's learning n enhance the opportunities that aid children in developing their independence.
- 16 July 2024Good
- 28 September 2018Good
- 15 July 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Orbital Pre School
- 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.