The Park Pre-School
Good★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Preston for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 to 15:00, 4 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2024. Open since 2008, with 30 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
PR4 2ANWhat 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, 5 November 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff support children to settle quickly and to understand the high expectations of them at the friendly pre-school. Children quickly form strong bonds with the small staff team, showing that they feel secure at pre-school. They enjoy playing and learning with their friends as they choose from the good range of activities on offer.
Staff plan activities with children's next steps and interests in mind. They promote positive attitudes as they help children to learn about routines and independence.
Children enjoy singing and stories with staff and join in with familiar words and actions. Staff promote discussions and expand children's vocabulary through daily activities. Children are chatty and confident. They 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:
- strengthen arrangements for gathering information from parents at the outset and consider how communication with parents can be managed most effectively for all families on an ongoing basis.
- 5 November 2024Good
- 5 December 2018Good
- 10 June 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Park 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.