The Fledglings
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Preston for children from birth to 5, open 07:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 October 2024. Open since 2017, with 40 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 Lancashire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Lancashire 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
PR3 0RYWhat 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, 4 October 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children love coming to the nursery to learn. They also enjoy the special occasions, such as when they eat their meals in the nursery's outdoor area. The roast dinner that the nursery cooks on Fridays are very popular with the children. The provider's curriculum places great emphasis on staff building children's skills to form happy relationships with other children and staff. Children settle well in the nursery playrooms and make new friends. They become confident learners, keen to spend time exploring, investigating and gaining new knowledge.
Babies at the nursery benefit from the high standard of care and nurture that the provider has established. The provider ensures that staff are highly trained. For instance, staff understand the care and learning needs of babies. Staff provide safe physical spaces for babies to develop their confidence and skills. Babies learn from staff's skilful support, such as testing what it feels like to pull themselves up on the carefully designed furniture. In this way, staff support babies to develop their core strength. Older children learn to climb trees with confidence. They learn from staff how to dangle on the rope swing and balance on the walking beams outdoors.
Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), develop positive attitudes to learning. They are well prepared for the next stage in their education.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- help staff to understand what the nursery's clear curriculum intent means for their practice.
- 4 October 2024Good
- 23 November 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Fledglings
- 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.