Play Centre Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Littlehampton for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 15:45, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2023. Open since 1994, with 25 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 Sussex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West Sussex 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
BN16 3NJWhat 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, 19 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff provide a welcoming environment and children settle quickly at their chosen activities. Children enjoy using technology and learn how to take turns. Staff encourage them to be kind to their friends and share their toys. As a result, children are developing good social and communication skills. Children like listening to stories in the cosy corner. They lay on cushions and snuggle under blankets to get comfortable. Staff read stories with animation, which helps children to focus on the book. Children listen intently, and enthusiastically finish the sentence with the rhyming words. Staff ensure children have access to books. For instance, they provide the opportunity for children to take books home. This helps children to develop a love of reading.
Children enjoy spending time outdoors. They relish playing imaginatively in a car, made from a pallet with seats and steering wheels. Children carefully cradle dolls and say they are on their way home. They laugh and giggle with joy as they pretend to drive the car, saying, 'Beep-beep, we're home!' Children delight in playing with bubbly water. They enjoy pouring water into different-sized pots, helping to develop hand-to-eye coordination. Staff introduce simple mathematical language and narrate play to expand children's vocabulary. During the summer months, children have the opportunity to visit the beach to learn about nature.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to swiftly recognise when some children need extra help to settle at activities and engage in meaningful learning throughout the day.
- 19 January 2023Good
- 5 May 2017Good
- 11 May 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Play Centre 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.