Parson Drove Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Wisbech for children from birth to 5, open 08:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 March 2024. Open since 1992, with 22 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 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
PE13 4JAWhat 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, 8 March 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff build strong relationships with children and their families. The manager and staff provide home visits for new children and gather vital information to help them settle, prior to starting. Consequently, children demonstrate they are happy, safe, and secure as they separate from their parents with ease.
Outdoors, staff initiate a game of hide and seek to encourage children to play cooperatively and develop friendships. They talk about the rules and decide who is going to count to 10. Children thoroughly enjoy the anticipation and squeal with delight when they find each other. Furthermore, staff play alongside children and engage them in conversations. They commentate on children's actions and expose them to a variety of descriptive language.
Staff generally have high expectations for children and, for the most part, children behave and interact well together. Staff support children to develop a good level of independence. For example, they encourage children to put on their shoes and coats to go outside. Similarly, they serve themselves at snack time and pour their own drinks. Staff provide hand-over-hand assistance for those that require a bit more confidence.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- focus planning more on the skills children need to develop next to fully extend and support their learning n help staff to recognise the importance of explaining unwanted behaviour to children so that they are able to develop an awareness of the consequences of their actions.
- 8 March 2024Good
- 10 May 2018Good
- 26 February 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Parson Drove 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.