Pirton Pre-School
OutstandingTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Hitchin for from 2 years up to school age, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. £10.00 an hour for under 3, and they take the funded hours. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in June 2025. Open since 2011, with 32 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3birth to 3y | £10.00additional private-paid hours | |
| Over the age of 33y to 5y | £8.00additional private-paid hours |
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
All children aged 3 and over are eligible to receive government funding to cover the fees for 15 hours per week. Eligible working parents and carers of children aged 3-4 can receive an additional 15 hours of childcare support, bringing the total support they can receive to 30 hours per week. Eligible working parents of our 2 year olds can also now access 30 hours of childcare support. Some parents.
Worth knowing. We do not charge registration fees or top-up fees here at Pirton Pre-School. Nor do we currently request a deposit to secure a child’s place. Although we do not charge for consumables, we do request a voluntary donation from parents at the beginning of each half term towards the cost of snacks provided during our morning sessions.
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
SG5 3PSWhat 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.
- 24 October 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 18 June 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children delight at exploring the wealth of exciting learning experiences in this friendly pre-school. They flourish in the nurturing care of the attentive team of staff who plan interesting experiences each day that support the needs and interests of children attending. A highly effective key-person system ensures children form close attachments to staff who are highly responsive to their individual needs.
These close relationships are particularly evident when supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Children's behaviour is exceptional with all children demonstrating emotional fluency and deep empathy for others. They independently organise group games, creating their own boundaries and rules. Staff facilitate this well through daily group discussions and providing props such as timers to monitor the time spent exploring popular activities. They use innovative ways to encourage children to make sense of their emotions. For example, children create erupting volcanoes when exploring how anger can make them feel.
- 18 June 2025Outstanding Safeguarding: Yes
- 7 November 2019Good
- 11 January 2016Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Pirton Pre-School
- 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
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 £10.00 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.