Slip End Preschool
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Luton for children from birth to 5, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 September 2022. Open since 1992, 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 Central Bedfordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Central Bedfordshire 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
LU1 4BXWhat 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, 7 September 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy the time they spend in this friendly pre-school. They are excited to arrive, and they separate from carers with ease. Children enjoy a wide range of interesting activities which staff skilfully plan. For example, children engage in weekly dance sessions to support their physical development.
Children demonstrate high levels of confidence. Staff support this by encouraging them to complete age-appropriate tasks. For example, children delight at using dustpans and brushes to help sweep up after messy activities. Children proudly show off their artwork and achievements which are displayed in the pre-school.
Managers and staff engage well with the local community. Children receive a rich set of experiences which supports their understanding and respect of the environment they live in. For example, children talk enthusiastically about visits to the nearby care home, where they perform songs to the elderly residents.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support children to identify inappropriate behaviour and the impact it may have on themselves and others n enhance current methods of coaching to support staff to raise the quality of their teaching to a consistently high standard.
- 7 September 2022Good
- 11 October 2016Good
- 21 January 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Slip End 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.