Yaxley & Mellis Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Eye for children from birth to 8+, open 07:45 to 17:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2025. Open since 2009, 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 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
IP23 8DPWhat 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, 27 February 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are greeted by name in the morning with enthusiasm and warmth. They excitedly run into pre-school, eager to begin their day. Children find their named pegs and hang up their coats. Once inside the pre-school room, children are straight into their learning and are engaged in their play. Activities support children well from the onset and children climb, complete art and craft activities, build and play with play dough. The resources are well thought out and help children settle.
Conversations between staff and children are meaningful. Staff extend children's thinking skills, ask open-ended questions and repeat words back to children.
Children hold conversations with each other during their play. Staff have high expectations for children's independence and knowledge of the world in which they live. For example, children research animals of the world and their habitats.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- deploy staff to ensure a consistent and meaningful approach to all children's learning at all times, for example during transitions between daily routines and activities.
- 27 February 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 10 May 2019Good
- 15 January 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Yaxley & Mellis 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.