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Grange Pre School

Grange Pre School is a pre-school in Northampton for children aged 2 to 4, with 42 registered places. Ofsted report card, 4 June 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met.

Grange Park Community Centre, School Lane, Grange Park, Northampton, NN4 5FZ

Key facts

Type
Pre-school (Sessional day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Ages
2 to 4 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered places
42 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered
29 February 2024 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)

Opening hours

Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 15:00

Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 4 June 2026

Latest inspection

  • Inclusion: Expected standard
  • Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
  • Achievement: Expected standard
  • Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
  • Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
  • Leadership and governance: Expected standard
  • Safeguarding standards met

Source: Ofsted, inspection on 4 June 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children arrive to a warm, welcoming environment where adults know them well and understand what helps them feel secure. They settle quickly because staff greet them with familiar routines and gentle reassurance. Children move confidently around the room, choosing activities that interest them and joining friends in play. They know that adults will listen, help and guide them when needed.

Children experience an environment where their individual needs are recognised. They use visual prompts, gestures and simple language cues that help them understand what will happen next. Children who are still developing their communication skills benefit from clear modelling and patient interactions, which help them take part in conversations and express their ideas. Those who speak English as an additional language hear new words used naturally in play and begin to use them themselves.

Children explore a range of activities that build on what they enjoy. They experiment with materials, practise new movements and revisit familiar experiences that help them grow in confidence. Children concentrate for sustained periods, whether creating models using LEGO or using their senses to explore the texture of jelly. They show pride when they master something new and often repeat actions to refine their skills.

Children behave well and respond positively to the calm, consistent approach from staff. They learn how to share, take turns and solve small disagreements with adult support. Children show kindness towards one another, offering help or inviting others into their play. Children feel safe and emotionally secure. They know where to go if they need quiet time and use these spaces to regulate their feelings. Children leave the setting as confident, curious learners who enjoy being with others and exploring new experiences.

What Ofsted found in each area

Inclusion: Expected standard

Children experience an inclusive environment because staff recognise and understand their individual needs. Leaders identify emerging needs early and work with professionals to ensure that every child receives the right support. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those with other barriers to learning, through targeted plans that reflect their strengths and next steps. Leaders use additional funding thoughtfully and seek ideas from parents and professionals when choosing resources that will make the greatest difference. They select items that help children regulate, communicate or join activities with confidence.

Staff build secure, trusting relationships with families. They share strategies used in the setting, such as visual now and next boards, gestures and picture cards, so routines remain consistent at home. These approaches help children understand what will happen next and reduce anxiety. Staff support children who speak English as an additional language by modelling language clearly and using visuals and repetition to help them build vocabulary and take part in conversations.

All children take part in daily routines, including handwashing, tidying and group times. Adults stay close and guide children with familiar phrases and visual cues, so they can participate successfully. Staff track progress closely and work with parents to make timely referrals when needed. While staff plan routines well, some children do not experience the full teaching sequence because they arrive after learning has begun.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Children experience a curriculum shaped around what they enjoy and what they need to learn next. Leaders provide clear direction for the curriculum and teaching, ensuring that staff understand the learning sequence and implement it consistently across daily practice. Staff plan clear sequences of learning that help children build knowledge and skills over time. They draw on their understanding of child development to design activities that build progressively and support children's emerging abilities. Daily activities reflect children's interests, such as painting and early mark making, which support emerging writing skills. Staff introduce new vocabulary during play, including words such as 'squish' and 'squeeze', and model how to use tools, such as scissors, to develop fine motor control. Children revisit learning through stories, songs and conversations, which helps them recall and build on what they already know.

Staff use well-established assessment systems to understand what children know and what they need to learn next. They observe children regularly and talk with parents to gain an accurate picture of each child's development. Staff use this information to plan activities that extend learning. For example, when children show interest in dinosaurs, staff extend the activity to include sensory colour mixing linked to this theme. Staff tailor experiences carefully, so younger children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities take part meaningfully.

Staff support communication and language effectively. They narrate learning, ask purposeful questions and give children time to respond. Staff weave mathematics into routines, such as snack time, but they do not yet embed mathematical thinking consistently in play.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children achieve well across the areas of learning. They arrive ready to take part and show curiosity as they explore the environment. They stay involved in activities and show determination when practising new skills. Children balance carefully along a beam, adjust their steps and try again when they wobble. When they pour water down guttering, they focus on controlling the flow and repeat the action until they succeed.

Children communicate confidently. They talk about what they are doing, share ideas with friends and resolve small disagreements, such as when they both want the same coloured stamp. They move around the room with assurance, choose what they need and manage simple routines independently, including washing their hands after painting. They use the visual cards displayed around the room to guide their actions, such as following the steps for managing a runny nose.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language, develop their skills over time because staff provide support that enables them to take part fully in daily learning. However, children who arrive later in the session after activities have begun, do not always access the full depth of learning intended during those moments.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff set high expectations and actively support children's social skills. Children benefit from positive relationships with staff, who act as calm and consistent role models. Staff address behaviour with a gentle tone and listen carefully to what children say. They teach children how to take turns, share and use polite language by modelling these behaviours clearly. When children find sharing difficult, staff recognise their feelings and guide them to think about what they can do to help. Children show consideration towards their friends, for example holding a friend's paper steady while they try to cut. They remain engaged in their play and cooperate with one another throughout the session.

Leaders and staff promote children's emotional development effectively. They use visuals and mirrors to help children recognise and understand feelings. Children feel safe, settled and emotionally secure, which reflects their positive attitudes to learning and play. Staff maintain consistent routines that help children regulate themselves and manage transitions calmly. Children respond to familiar cues, such as the tidy-up song, and begin to organise the room. At snack time, they know to wash their hands and follow the routine confidently.

Leaders monitor attendance closely and contact parents when children are absent. They explain the importance of regular attendance from the outset, although messages about punctuality are less consistent. Children who arrive late miss key learning during activities and established routines.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children are happy, settled and show emotional security within the setting. They know that staff are available to support them when needed and respond positively to the calm, predictable routines that help them feel safe and understand expectations. Children benefit from warm interactions, comfort when required and structured small-group experiences, such as 'bucket time', which help them develop attention and emotional regulation.

Leaders use additional funding thoughtfully to strengthen children's wellbeing. They ensure that children have access to spaces that help them manage their emotions. Children take themselves to the sensory area when they feel overwhelmed, where they learn to calm down and process their feelings with or without adult support. Parents have positive relationships with their child's key person and have regular opportunities to share information and celebrate achievements.

Children learn about healthy lifestyles through daily routines. They access outdoor play and develop independence in putting on coats, using the toilet and blowing their nose. Staff offer children water or milk at snack time, and parents receive guidance on healthy lunch boxes, including examples shared during play-and-stay sessions. However, messages about providing water in children's bottles are less consistent.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are passionate about the care and education they provide and are committed to ensuring that early education is accessible to all. They work closely with parents and other professionals, offering practical guidance on potty training, developing independence and supporting learning at home. Parents speak positively about the setting and value the ideas staff share, such as using story sacks, practising zips or encouraging pouring activities to build children's confidence. Leaders ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified early and work with families and external agencies to put effective strategies in place, helping children regulate, communicate and participate successfully.

Leaders maintain effective oversight of staff's practice. They hold termly supervisions and frequent discussions, which are manageable within the small team. Staff discuss children's progress, safeguarding concerns, training needs and improvements to provision. Leaders use a range of training providers to ensure that all staff meet requirements, including SEND and emotional coaching training, which strengthens daily practice and improves children's communication and emotional regulation. Leaders also monitor workload carefully, so staff have time to complete paperwork and attend regular meetings.

Leaders ensure that safeguarding works effectively and staff know how to report concerns. They evaluate the provision accurately and oversee the curriculum with clarity and purpose. They also work closely with parents to promote regular attendance. However, when some children arrive after activities have begun, they miss important parts of the routine and the learning intended during those moments.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

  • Leaders should strengthen messages about punctuality so that the importance of arriving on time is clear and more children benefit from the full sequence of learning.
  • Leaders should embed mathematical thinking more routinely across play and interactions to deepen children's early number understanding.
  • Leaders should ensure consistent healthy lifestyle messages, including expectations around water bottles, so parents receive clear guidance that supports children's oral health.

Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 4 June 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)

Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.

The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.

Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.

Source: Ofsted reports

Funded childcare hours in England

All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.

Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.

Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.

The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.

Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)

Other nurseries nearby

  • Kiddi Caru Nursery - Day nursery, Northampton NN4 5DW, ages 0 to 4, 118 places, 0.2 miles
    Ofsted, 23 August 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Wooldale Early Care and Education Centre - Day nursery, Northampton NN4 6TP, ages 0 to 4, 48 places, 0.6 miles
    Ofsted, 2 August 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Collingtree Day Nursery - Day nursery, Northampton NN4 0NQ, ages 2 to 4, 17 places, 0.8 miles
    Ofsted, 10 May 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Wootton Playgroup - Pre-school, Northampton NN4 6LW, ages 2 to 4, 30 places, 0.9 miles
    Ofsted, 8 May 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Club V Northampton Collingtree Park - Pre-school, Collingtree Park NN4 0EB, 0.9 miles

Schools nearby

Grange Pre School on the Ofsted website