The Pines Pre School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Hertford for children from birth to 5, open 09:30 to 13:30, 5 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 2004, with 26 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 Hertfordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hertfordshire 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
SG13 7SXWhat 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 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children receive care and education that are targeted to their specific needs. Staff use their excellent knowledge of the community and families who use the preschool to deliver a curriculum that supports every child's unique circumstances.
Children demonstrate secure attachments, arriving with great enthusiasm and parting easily from parents. The kind and caring team places children at the heart of its practice. Consequently, children very quickly settle into their learning, chatting to trusted adults as they play and explore.
Children are supported to develop respectful relationships. Staff regularly remind children of their expectations and manage conflict with clear boundaries. Children are developing an understanding of how their actions can make others feel. Staff help children to develop an understanding of a range of feelings and emotions.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to further develop their questioning skills so that children have the time that they need to process their thoughts and respond with their answers
- 18 November 2024Good
- 7 February 2019Good
- 15 July 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Pines 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.