St Leonard's Pre-School, Oakley
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Basingstoke for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. £6.20 an hour, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2024. Open since 1992, with 30 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Session | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | £18.60£18.60 per | £6.20£6.20 per hour |
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
15 Hours of Free Preschool Education: All children are entitled to 15 hours of free preschool education each week from the start of the term following their 3rd birthday. 30 Hours of Free Preschool Education: Some families may be eligible for an extended 30 hours of free preschool education. We encourage you to check your eligibility for this enhanced offering. Places for Funded 2-Year-Olds: We al.
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
RG23 7EDWhat 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, 2 July 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff have created a homely environment, where children feel safe and secure. All families are welcomed and are greeted warmly. Children quickly find their name cards that staff have put out for them and they independently put their belongings away. Children are eager to join in the wide range of activities that staff have carefully planned for them. For instance, they use their hands and fingers to manipulate play dough. This helps children to develop their muscles in readiness for writing. Staff consistently praise children's efforts and achievements. As a result, children play happily alongside each other and develop a strong sense of well-being.
Children are confident communicators. They are supported to develop their vocabulary through skilful staff interactions. Children expand their understanding and use of new words. For example, staff discuss sinking and floating as children explore what happens when they place different items into the water tray. Older children demonstrate that they recall prior learning by discussing how the stone sinks because it is heavy. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress through an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum.
Staff know their children well and plan a range of experiences to complement their learning. For example, they provide regular cooking lessons and opportunities for children to learn Spanish. The manager invites visitors, such as emergency services, into the pre-school to talk to children about their jobs. These experiences give children a wider knowledge of the diverse world around them.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support all staff to develop confidence in implementing the curriculum for mathematics n refine the organisation of group activities to maximise younger children's involvement, concentration and focus.
- 2 July 2024Good
- 17 September 2018Good
- 13 April 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Leonard's Pre-School, Oakley
- Youngest age taken
- 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 £6.20 an hour 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.
- 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.