Over Puddleducks Preschool
OutstandingTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Cambridge for from 2 years up to school age, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. £7.75 an hour for 2 years, and they take the funded hours. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in April 2024. Open since 1984, with 26 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Term time only, 38 weeks a year.
| Age | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 years2y to 3y | £7.75for children aged 2 | |
| 3+ years3y to 5y | £5.65for children aged 3+ |
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
All children aged 2 and over are entitled to 15 free hours of early years education a week for 38 weeks a year. Your child will become eligible the term following their third birthday and can continue to benefit until they reach statutory school age. Some working parents will be entitled to an additional 15 hours of free childcare the term after the child reaches the age of 3.
What childcare usually costs in Cambridgeshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Cambridgeshire 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
CB24 5NWWhat 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, 23 April 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The enthusiastic manager and her dedicated team welcome children warmly into this exciting pre-school. Their energetic approach supports children to settle swiftly and have a positive attitude to their learning. Children form close attachments to staff who are highly responsive to their individual needs. As a result, children feel safe and secure in their nurturing care.
Staff provide exceptionally stimulating play opportunities that enable children to become deeply absorbed in their learning. Children delight at creating dragon potions in their outdoor kitchen. They measure out various sensory ingredients, including 'slimy venom' and 'sparkling eggs', exploring the changes in the appearance and texture of their potions.
Children are polite, considerate and demonstrate empathy for others. Staff have exceptional strategies in place to support children's understanding of appropriate behaviour. When children struggle taking turns in activities, staff encourage them to develop strategies to resolve conflict. They take time to explore children's emotions and the impact their resulting behaviour has on themselves and others.
- 23 April 2024Outstanding
- 12 June 2018Good
- 14 September 2017Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Over Puddleducks Preschool
- 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.
- Is £7.75 an hour still the rate? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.