The Chelsfield Pre-School
Good★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Orpington for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 March 2023. Open since 2012, with 50 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
BR6 6HDWhat 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, 3 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children play and learn in a busy but relaxed environment. Staff have to put away all resources at the end of most days but create a warm and welcoming learning environment every morning. All children separate easily from their parents and enjoy exploring a good variety of activities and resources. Some children enjoy playing and laughing together as they climb over soft blocks, while others prefer to settle in quietly. Children know that staff are close by to support them and show through their play and discussions that they feel safe and happy.
Children behave well and show good attitudes towards learning. They share toys with their friends, for instance, as they play with construction resources. They laugh together with excitement as they take part in a music and movement activity. All children join in, follow simple instructions, and move around to warm up, stretch and move in different ways. They know and enjoy familiar routines.
The provider has high expectations of children and what they can achieve socially and educationally. Children are very confident and enjoy telling visitors about their favourite activities. For example, they eagerly explain how they are mixing blue and red paint to make it brown. They talk about their friends and eating fruit at snack time. They are confident, self-motivated and make good progress in their learning.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- consider ways to link the implementation of planned activities more securely to curriculum aims, to further develop the good learning opportunities in place overall n develop a greater understanding of when to offer children more challenge in their play to further extend their learning.
- 3 March 2023Good
- 15 May 2017Good
- 16 November 2016Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Chelsfield 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.