Sarratt Ducklings Pre-School
OutstandingTakes funded hours★ 4.6 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Rickmansworth for from 2 years up to school age, open sessions in term time, often mornings. £18.00 a session for from 2 years, and they take the funded hours. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in February 2022. Open since 1992, with 26 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Session | |
|---|---|---|
| From 2 years and 9 months2y to 5y | £18.00Afternoons, 2 hrs £27.00Mornings, 3 hrs | |
| All ages | £9.00Lunch Club |
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
Sarratt Ducklings is also able to offer the full 30 hours funded places for 3 and 4 year old’s and the 15 hour funded places for 2 year old’s.
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
WD3 6ASWhat 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, 23 February 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children who attend this highly inclusive and welcoming pre-school receive the very best start to their education. They are consistently taught the skills needed to help them prepare for their life ahead. Children are compassionate towards others and demonstrate the skills needed for forming long-lasting friendships. Children confidently tell staff that they are working as a team when digging in mud to find buried worms, and have great fun making up stories together in role-play situations.
Children and staff have formed very secure attachments that give them a strong sense of belonging. Children happily talk about home life. They confidently discuss different subjects, such as the weather and seasons, with staff at snack time. This is used very effectively as a time to encourage children's social skills and language development. Children behave very well. They receive lots of meaningful praise for their achievements, which helps to build high levels of self-esteem and confidence.
These achievements are purposefully shared with other children and staff. Staff tell children how proud they are of them, and their work is displayed for all to admire.
- 23 February 2022Outstanding
- 3 November 2015Outstanding
- 2 February 2012Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Sarratt Ducklings 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 £18.00 a session 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.