Squirrels Pre-School
Good★ 4.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Farnborough for children from birth to 8+, open 08:30 to 16:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2023. 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 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
GU14 7HXWhat 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, 18 July 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy, safe and well cared for. They benefit from the staff's focus on supporting their personal, social and emotional well-being. Children develop strong, trusting relationships with staff and their friends. Staff teach children the importance of kindness and respect, modelling this with children and embedding consistent behaviour expectations. Consequently, children learn to take turns, to use good manners and behave well. For instance, as children tidy away toys, they ask their friends for help and say 'thank you' as they work together to put toys onto the shelves.
Staff have high expectations for children's learning. The curriculum is created to focus on priorities for children's learning. Leaders have a good understanding of what they want children to know or to be able to do next. Children benefit from activities which excite and engage them in learning. For instance, children relish opportunities to make 'potions'. They learn how to tip and pour coloured liquids and add stars, glitter and label their mixtures. Staff support children's hand-eye coordination and encourage them to count and measure mixtures. Children listen intently and become absorbed in activities as staff skilfully weave learning into these experiences. All children, including those in receipt of additional funding, make good progress from their starting points.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- target staff professional development opportunities in order to help to refine and enhance teaching skills more precisely n develop the use of techniques that encourage and support children to communicate their wants, needs and ideas more consistently.
- 18 July 2023Good
- 5 November 2018Good
- 24 January 2018Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Squirrels 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.