Potterspury Pre-School
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Towcester for children from birth to 8+, open 08:15 to 16:15, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2024. Open since 2000, with 26 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 Northamptonshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West Northamptonshire 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
NN12 7PGWhat 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.
- 30 June 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 3 March 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 25 November 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children quickly settle to play when they arrive. They are happy to see the staff and their friends. Children who are new to the setting receive gentle support and encouragement from staff to help them to develop a sense of belonging in the preschool. Staff are sensitive in their interactions with children and adapt to meet their different levels of development. Appropriate next steps in learning are identified for individual children, and staff successfully help children work towards these as they play with them. For example, staff consistently demonstrate sign language that some children are learning, such as how to sign thank you, and they say the word as they sign.
Children are excited to join in with songs and rhymes, and they enthusiastically copy the actions staff demonstrate to their favourites. Staff help children listen to the song, and they learn how to follow instructions when they use two sticks to tap together. Children know when to tap their sticks quickly, slowly, loudly and quietly.
Overall, children become fully engaged in their activities and show sustained concentration. Children watch staff as they show them how they can make a character from a favourite story using sticks, leaves and pipe cleaners. Children copy staff when they twist pipe cleaners around their own model to make arms for their character.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- embed the system for the supervision and monitoring of staff's professional development to continue to improve their skills and knowledge n strengthen staff's skills so that interactions with children consistently support them to sustain their interest and concentration.
- 25 November 2024Good
- 8 July 2024Inadequate
- 12 September 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Potterspury 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.