Quarndon Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Derby for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2023. Open since 1972, 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 Derbyshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Derbyshire 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
DE22 5JBWhat 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, 9 May 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happily at the pre-school, and staff greet them at the door. They find their name for self-registration and put it on their 'belongings pocket'. Children seek out staff to say hello and to tell them about their weekend. Staff listen attentively and ask questions to prompt further two-way conversations. This helps to build strong attachments and gives children a sense of belonging.
Staff create a stimulating environment, which includes resources stored at a low level for children to self-select. Children benefit from an ambitious curriculum, which helps to spark their creativity and use of their imaginations. For instance, children seek out their friends to join in with role play. They then cooperatively decide who is going to be each character and quickly become engrossed in their
'lost princess' story. Children pretend to search the palace for the princess. Once found, they tell her to rest, and they use their 'magical powers' to turn a book into a pillow. Staff support children's developing imagination by giving them the freedom of self-expression. They use questions to prompt children's thinking further.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- improve strategies for sharing information with parents so they are clear about what the learning intention is for their children, to help support children's learning at home n strengthen arrangements for staff supervision in order to identify any targeted support and training effectively, to improve outcomes for children.
- 9 May 2023Good
- 9 November 2022Inadequate
- 26 January 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Quarndon 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.