Shipton Bellinger Preschool
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Tidworth for children from birth to 8+, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2023. Open since 1994, 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 Hampshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hampshire 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
SP9 7TWWhat 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, 14 June 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy entering the pre-school. The gentle and friendly staff greet them, and children are quick to settle. Children engage well in play and make friends easily. They have a key person when they start at the pre-school who gets to know them very well. Children have a good relationship with staff and form a strong bond. This helps to support children's personal, social and emotional development well. Children clearly feel safe and secure. They behave well and listen to instruction from staff. Children show respect for both peers and staff.
Children learn to be independent learners, and this supports them to get ready for starting school. They know how to care for themselves and are confident enough to ask for help if needed, such as when they are learning to become toilet trained.
Children self-select what they would like to eat for snack. They make healthy choices, such as choosing from a selection of fruit and vegetables provided at snack time. All children make good progress, including children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- coach and support all staff to review and adapt their practice to further extend children's interests, particularly outdoors.
- 14 June 2023Good
- 8 November 2017Good
- 1 June 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Shipton Bellinger Preschool
- 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.