St James' Pre-School (Petts Wood)
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Orpington for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 16:00, 4 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2025. Open since 2014, 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 Bromley
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Bromley 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
BR5 1BJWhat 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, 30 June 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff know the children and their families well and greet children warmly as they arrive at this pre-school. Children are eager to explore the learning environment and get involved in play. Staff use observations to plan effectively for children's learning. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in their surroundings and with staff. For example, they snuggle into staff if they are tired or upset.
Children enthusiastically invite staff to join in their play. For example, they play imaginatively at the construction area, organising the next call to fix leaks around the pre-school. Staff place an emphasis on children's emotional well-being. This helps children to settle and feel comfortable in the pre-school.
Staff plan a well-sequenced curriculum for all children, to address any gaps in their learning. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who need support with their communication and language development 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:
- develop knowledge of using effective questioning as a teaching strategy, to extend children's thinking, communication and language skills n review staff deployment so children are better supported and engage well in their learning.
- 30 June 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 3 October 2019Good
- 4 May 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St James' Pre-School (Petts Wood)
- 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.