Waitlist
Register children as early as possible for the waiting list. Applications for the upcoming academic year received after March 31st are considered late.
Chestnuts Pre-school
Ofsted: Expected standard·32 Chestnut Avenue, Wokingham, RG41 3RS · Wokingham
Number of places
26 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Nov 2025
Local authority
Wokingham
About this day nursery
Chestnuts Pre-school, located in Wokingham, has been providing childcare on non-domestic premises for children aged 2 to 4 years since its registration in 1984. The preschool operates Monday to Friday from 08:45 to 15:00, offering a structured yet nurturing environment.
While the overall effectiveness is rated as 'Requires Improvement', the setting demonstrates a strong commitment to safeguarding, with an open and positive culture ensuring children's safety and well-being. Leaders have a clear understanding of the curriculum's quality and are dedicated to making improvements, especially in enhancing support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
The staff foster warm, sensitive relationships, helping children, particularly those who have had attendance challenges, to settle happily and engage in a wide range of meaningful activities. The preschool encourages active participation and independence, with children developing strong friendships and a sense of belonging.
Recent leadership and staffing changes have brought greater stability, positively impacting daily practices and staff workload, and driving effective improvements.
Our ethos
Chestnuts Pre-school embraces a philosophy that children thrive through play in a supportive environment. Their curriculum balances child-initiated activities that allow for independent exploration with adult-guided activities that foster critical thinking with staff support. They are a member of the Early Years Alliance.
What it's like
Children arrive happy and ready to learn, benefiting from the warm greetings and sensitive staff support that has helped some overcome previous attendance challenges. They engage in a wide range of meaningful activities, such as drawing X-rays to understand the human body, fostering a sense of belonging and promoting their physical understanding. Children are encouraged to be active participants, taking ownership of tasks and developing independence, perseverance, and strong friendships, all contributing to their emotional safety and readiness for future education.
Warm relationshipsActive learningStrong friendshipsDedicated leadershipEffective safeguarding
Pricing & funding
Charges are based on a flat sessional rate for hours not covered by government funding. Additional fees are charged for optional lunch club sessions and late collections.
Funding accepted
15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)
- Sessional rate (non-funded children)£21.10 / session
- Lunch club£6.60 / session
- Late collection fee (more than 10 minutes)£10.00 / session
Good to know
- An administration fee is payable upon registration, which is refundable if a place cannot be offered.
- Unfunded sessions or hours exceeding the funded allocation are charged at a sessional rate.
- Lunch club is available Monday to Friday as an additional service charged outside of funding.
- A late collection fee is charged if a child is picked up more than 10 minutes after their session ends.
Key facts
Opening hours
Sessions start at 8:45 am or 12:20 pm. End of session at 11:30 am or 3:00 pm. Lunch club available Monday - Friday.
Food
Healthy snack, water, and/or milk provided mid-session. Parents to provide lunch for lunch club.
Age range
2.5 years and older
Session types
Sessional care, Lunch club
Staff
11 (7 with Early Years Qualifications)
Established
1984
Ofsted Inspection — new report card
Expected standard
Last inspected Nov 2025
Grade summary
Exceptional
—
Strong standard
—
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
—
Each dot represents one of the six inspection categories. Headline is the average of the six grades, rounded up.
Category grades
AchievementNeeds attention
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesExpected standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
InclusionNeeds attention
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Age range
2 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for Chestnuts Pre-school
Last inspected 19 November 2025 · Melissa Cox
Actions the provider must take
- strengthen teaching so that staff have the knowledge and confidence to provide individual support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) so that children are able access all areas of the curriculum
- ensure staff use assessment information effectively to provide support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) that helps them achieve well from their starting points.
What it's like to attend
Children arrive happy and ready to learn, benefiting from the warm greetings and sensitive staff support that has helped some overcome previous attendance challenges. They engage in a wide range of meaningful activities, such as drawing X-rays to understand the human body, fostering a sense of belonging and promoting their physical understanding. Children are encouraged to be active participants, taking ownership of tasks and developing independence, perseverance, and strong friendships, all contributing to their emotional safety and readiness for future education.
Inspector highlights
- Leaders have high expectations for children's behaviour, creating a calm environment and promoting consistent messages that support children's understanding of group rules.
- Staff build warm, positive relationships that help children feel settled and respond kindly to children's individual needs.
- Leaders hold an accurate assessment of the quality of the curriculum and prioritise improvements that benefit children.
- Recent changes in leadership and staffing have brought greater stability to the setting, positively impacting daily practice and staff workload.
- Children arrive happy and ready to learn, with staff support helping some overcome attendance challenges.
- Staff ensure robust attention to children's safety, including outdoors.
- Children enjoy a wide range of experiences that support their learning.
- Staff encourage children to play an active role in the setting, taking ownership of small tasks to support confidence and independence.
Areas to develop
- 1Strengthen teaching so that staff have the knowledge and confidence to provide individual support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) so that children are able access all areas of the curriculum
- 2Ensure staff use assessment information effectively to provide support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) that helps them achieve well from their starting points.
Inspection #10128696 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
Leaders and staff are committed to supporting all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), through one-to-one support and early identification. While efforts are made, staff show varying levels of confidence in adapting the curriculum for these children, leading to inconsistencies in progress for some. Leaders have identified this as a priority and are implementing strategies like "bucket time" and supporting families in accessing additional funding.
Outdoor space
Staff ensure robust attention to children's safety, including outdoors. For example, when it began snowing during outdoor play, staff checked that children were appropriately dressed and that the outdoor area remained safe. Children were able to stay outside and delight in watching the snow drift down around them. Staff use this moment to encourage language, curiosity and shared joy, while supporting children to keep themselves safe. Staff also adapt activities for groups of children who prefer to spend time outside.
Inspection history
Date: March 2011
The most recent inspection point has been hidden because the parsed entry didn't match the headline Ofsted rating (Requires improvement). We're re-checking it against the original report.
- March 2022Good
- January 2016Outstanding
- March 2011Outstanding
Frequently asked about Chestnuts Pre-school
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