Tilehouse Street Pre-School and Nursery
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Hitchin for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. £9.25 an hour for under 3, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2024. Open since 2003, with 25 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Term time only, 38 weeks a year, minimum 2 days a week.
| Age | Session | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 3birth to 3y | £27.75per 3 hour for children under 3, 3 hrs £30.00from September 2026 | £9.25per hour for children under 3 £10.00from September 2026 | |
| Over the age of 33y to 5y | £25.50per 3 hour for children over the age of 3, 3 hrs £27.00from September 2026 | £8.50per hour for children over the age of 3 £9.00from September 2026 |
Before you start
One-off charges to take a place.
- £25.00 administration feeApplications that are offered and accepted and later rejected by the
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £20.00 to £25.00 a month Additional monthly chargesper child, includes Daily snacks, Cooking activities, Enrichment and
Funded hours
15 hours a week for children aged 3 and over; 30 hours for eligible working parents of children from 2 years to school age.
Worth knowing. 30 hour places are subject to availability and offered on a first come, first served basis; hours can be used over 38 weeks of the year (during school term time).
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
SG5 2EEWhat 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, 30 April 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy their time at this lively pre-school filled with laughter and excitement. They share playful interactions with staff and form meaningful relationships. Children take part in a wide range of activities that spark their curiosity, such as making ice cream. They show their enjoyment as they enthusiastically express, 'It's so fun here.' The caring nature of staff helps children to feel settled and content.
Staff support children's personal development, helping them develop self-belief and confidence. Children set their own goals, focusing on skills they want to develop, such as doing up their zip. Shared celebrations help children to feel pride in their achievements as they adopt a 'can-do' attitude. Staff encourage children to discuss their feelings. This helps children to begin to understand emotions and how to express themselves.
Staff set high expectations for behaviour. They emphasise kindness and the importance of following the rules. Children resolve their own conflicts with the support of staff. Careful questioning encourages children to think of solutions. With guidance from staff, children put their ideas into practice. For example, children use a timer to help them take turns. As a result, children's behaviour is good. They develop problem-solving skills and learn to manage disputes fairly.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen supervision systems so that staff receive focused feedback, providing them with specific targets to develop their skills and knowledge further n support staff to plan activities with clear learning intentions that focus on children's next steps in learning.
- 30 April 2024Good
- 27 June 2018Good
- 22 April 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Tilehouse Street Pre-School and Nursery
- Meals
- Nappies
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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- Is £9.25 an hour still the rate? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.