Thames Pre-School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Swindon for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. £6.75 an hour, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2022. Open since 1992, with 30 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Term time only, 38 weeks a year, minimum 2 days a week.
| Age | Hourly | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | £6.75 | £1.75Early start |
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £2.68 Hot School Lunch
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
15 hours universal entitlement for all children from age 3; 30 hours working families entitlement for eligible working parents of children from age 2; funded 2 year olds (Better2gether funding in Wiltshire).
Worth knowing. Funded hours are term time only over 38 weeks per year; hours are not dependent on families paying for additional non-funded hours; early start sessions can be included in the funding entitlement.
What childcare usually costs in Wiltshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Wiltshire 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
SN6 6AXWhat 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, 9 December 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and clearly enjoy attending the pre-school. Staff prioritise children's well-being. They know children extremely well and build positive relationships with families. The key-person system is effective, and this helps children to settle quickly. Staff encourage children to express their feelings and emotions. For example, they use stones with various emotions on, which help children to discuss how they feel.
Staff have high expectations of all children. They provide stimulating and nurturing environments, both indoors and outdoors. Children enjoy exploring their surroundings and following their own lead. For example, children use their imaginations and turn a cardboard box into a puppet theatre. They play cooperatively with their friends and are highly engaged in their play.
Children take part in regular forest school sessions in the garden. Staff encourage children to respect the natural world around them. Children clearly feel safe as they learn to carefully manage risks for themselves. For example, they are aware of how high they can climb trees and know staff are there to support them if needed.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- continue to strengthen partnerships with schools to further support children's transitions to the next stage in their learning n ensure staff give children enough time to process their thoughts and ideas when responding to questions they have been asked.
- 9 December 2022Good
- 1 March 2017Good
- 3 December 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Thames Pre-School
- 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 £6.75 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.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.