The Little Rascals Pre-School
OutstandingBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Ipswich for children from birth to 5, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in November 2022. Open since 2001, with 34 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 Suffolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Suffolk 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
IP1 2NAWhat 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, 18 November 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are at the heart of this exceptional pre-school. They thrive in the nurturing and highly vibrant environment. Children enjoy meaningful interactions with staff, who ignite their curiosity and interest. As a result, children are constantly engaged and completely immersed in their learning. For instance, story time is a joyous occasion, where children cannot contain their excitement. Children learn an array of stories, which encourages their language and literacy development. They are extremely inquisitive and ask questions to further extend their knowledge. For example, as children make play dough they discuss why it feels 'sticky'. Children share their thoughts and ideas and tell staff that there is 'too much water'.
Children show high levels of imagination and a sense of wonder in their learning.
They pretend to be scientists and talk about using 'pipettes' as they wish to 'gather samples of bacteria to study and grow'. They learn about important healthy practices, such as washing their hands and brushing their teeth. They tell visitors how they need to 'clean their teeth to keep them healthy and strong or they will go black.'
- 18 November 2022Outstanding
- 19 January 2017Good
- 25 January 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Little Rascals 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.