Pied Piper Pre-School
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Thatcham for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 15:00, 4 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2021, though that is 5 years ago now. Open since 1992, with 24 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 West Berkshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West Berkshire 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
RG18 4QLWhat 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, 5 October 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy at the pre-school and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure through their positive attitudes towards learning. They quickly become engaged in their chosen activities on arrival and are motivated to make choices and remain busy throughout the day. Children show high levels of independence and imagination in their play. They particularly enjoy playing in the well-resourced area outdoors. Children develop their coordination as they work out how to successfully negotiate balancing beams without falling, using croquet mallets for balance. They are avid birdwatchers and create colourful bird feeders from apples, which they hang in the trees to attract the birds.
Staff act as positive role models to children, who respond well to staff's high expectations for their good behaviour. Children successfully learn to self-regulate their feelings and manage conflict well, such as using a sand timer to take turns with a popular resource. They play an active part in the well-organised morning register time, where they attentively follow the group rules, such as putting their hand up to alert staff when they want a turn to speak.
Staff plan a range of exciting activities that promote children's curiosity and interest in learning. Children readily join in. However, on occasions, staff do not make the most of the opportunities that arise to extend and challenge children's learning further.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to make a clear link between the intent and delivery of planned activities so that children are fully challenged and engaged n focus professional development on helping staff to adjust their teaching to consider children's different learning needs during activities so that staff correct children's misunderstandings and support their learning even further.
- 5 October 2021Good
- 5 March 2013Outstanding
- 1 December 2008Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Pied Piper 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.