Sun Beams
Good★ 4.2 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Northampton for children from birth to 8+, open 07:50 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2022. Open since 2004, with 48 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 West Northamptonshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West Northamptonshire 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
NN4 8JAWhat 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, 12 September 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are welcomed into the setting by the warm and friendly staff. Parents are given time to share any information regarding their children at the start of the day, ensuring any individual needs are met. Children start their day by eagerly exploring their environment. They engage in role play in the construction area, wearing hard hats, pretending to be builders. Other children develop their early writing skills as they make marks with pencils at the writing station. Children who prefer to learn outside have plenty of opportunities to be physically active as they ride bicycles up and down the well-resourced outside area.
Children learn how to play cooperatively together. Staff act as good role models, and they gently support children to take turns and share equipment. This helps the children to form strong friendships with each other and learn how to behave.
Children gather in the home corner and set out a tea party together, pouring tea and serving cakes to their friends.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- monitor practice more closely to help support staff to engage children more effectively in meaningful and purposeful play n strengthen supervision meetings to truly foster a culture of support for staff well-being.
- 12 September 2022Good
- 12 September 2016Good
- 1 October 2015Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Sun Beams
- 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.