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Hoppers of Dinton pre-school

Ofsted: Expected standard·
5.0(2 parent reviews) ·Dinton Village Hall, Upton Road, Aylesbury, HP17 8UQ · Buckinghamshire
Number of places
34 places
Age range
1–4 yrs
Last inspected
Mar 2026
Local authority
Buckinghamshire

About this day nursery

Hoppers of Dinton pre-school, registered in 2024, operates year-round from Dinton Village Hall in Aylesbury, providing childcare for children aged 1 to 4 years. The pre-school follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum and is open Monday to Thursday from 07:30 to 18:00, and Friday from 08:00 to 17:00.

While leaders are actively working on improvements, not all changes are fully embedded, and the newly designed curriculum is still in its early stages. Despite this, children are confident and happy in the friendly setting, with staff nurturing babies in a calm and caring way, helping them discover engaging activities.

The pre-school excels in building warm and trusting relationships, ensuring children feel a deep sense of belonging. They also have effective strategies for safeguarding children, ensuring their safety and wellbeing throughout the session, including safe outdoor play areas for different age groups.

Our ethos

Hoppers of Dinton Pre-school's educational approach is rooted in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, emphasising learning through play, guided learning, and scaffolding based on children's interests. They foster independence, confidence, creativity, and communication skills through hands-on experiences and open-ended resources, encouraging children to be adventurers and investigators. Their curriculum is enriched by activities such as Outdoor Learning, Forest School, Yoga, Cooking, Gardening, and Pet Care.

What it's like

Although leaders are working hard, not all changes and improvements are fully embedded. Not all staff are able to identify what their intentions for children's learning are through their planned activities. Nevertheless, children are confident and happy to come into the friendly setting. Staff nurture babies and they help them in a calm and caring way to find activities that they enjoy.

Effective progressWarm relationshipsStrong safeguarding

Pricing & funding

Fees are structured by age groups and rooms, covering the Rabbit Room (18-24 months and 2-3 years) and the Hedgehog and Owl Rooms. Charges are based on hourly rates, morning, afternoon, lunch, or full-day sessions, with rates effective from April 2026. Additional hours and a snack donation are also charged.

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — working parents (9 months–2 yrs)

Good to know

  • Rates are structured specifically for Rabbit, Hedgehog, and Owl rooms.
  • Early starts and late finishes can be booked on an hourly basis.
  • A voluntary snack donation is requested on a termly basis.
  • Pricing structure is defined to take effect from April 2026.

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday : 07:30 - 18:00, Friday : 08:00 - 17:00

Age range

18 months to 5 years

Term time / All Year

All_year

Established

2024

Ofsted Inspection — new report card

Expected standard

Last inspected Mar 2026

Headline: Expected standard

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

AchievementExpected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesExpected standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
InclusionExpected standard
Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
Age range
1 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Hoppers of Dinton pre-school

Last inspected 18 March 2026 · Amanda Perkin

Safeguarding effective

Actions the provider must take

  • Improve and embed an ambitious education programme that consistently engages and clearly supports what individual children need to learn next to build on what they know and can do by 20/06/2026.
  • Develop effective systems for support, coaching and training for staff to ensure they have a full understanding of their roles and responsibilities, and any inconsistencies in practice are swiftly addressed by 20/06/2026.

What it's like to attend

Although leaders are working hard, not all changes and improvements are fully embedded. Not all staff are able to identify what their intentions for children's learning are through their planned activities. Nevertheless, children are confident and happy to come into the friendly setting. Staff nurture babies and they help them in a calm and caring way to find activities that they enjoy.

Inspector highlights

  • Children make effective progress.
  • Children of all ages are typically achieving well from their starting points and generally achieve across all areas of the curriculum.
  • Staff build warm and trusting relationships with children, helping them feel a deep sense of belonging.
  • Leaders have effective strategies in place to ensure children are accounted for throughout the session, supporting the safety and wellbeing of all children.
  • Children who have recently started at the setting show their confidence with staff as they seek them out.

Areas to develop

  • 1Leaders have not fully embedded their newly designed curriculum, and there are still some differences in practice across the provision. Staff do not always tailor teaching to support children's learning, meaning activities may not precisely focus on individual children's next steps.
  • 2Leaders have not monitored staff knowledge and practice effectively to ensure that the setting's curriculum vision is understood and implemented.
  • 3The provider must improve and embed an ambitious education programme that consistently engages and clearly supports what individual children need to learn next to build on what they know and can do.
  • 4The provider must develop effective systems for support, coaching and training for staff to ensure they have a full understanding of their roles and responsibilities, and any inconsistencies in practice are swiftly addressed.
Inspection #10401515 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Leaders and staff identify children's needs at an early stage. Effective partnerships between parents, carers and agencies ensure that children receive tailored and timely support. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively, and leaders with specific responsibility for children with SEND receive relevant training to strengthen their understanding of inclusive practice. Staff work closely with external professionals to ensure children receive the support they need.

Outdoor space

Children get lots of opportunities to play outside and get fresh air. In the garden, older children know they are not allowed to go outside of the coned area, and babies have their own secure areas, both inside and out, which allow them to explore safely.

EAL / language support

Children with little or no language use gestures with staff to communicate their wishes. Staff use stories, songs and rhymes to enhance children's vocabulary and communication skills.

Parent Reviews of Hoppers of Dinton pre-school

5.0
(2)
Harriet Cooper
10 months ago

My 18 month old child goes to Little Hoppers in Dinton and absolutely loves it! It’s a very relaxed atmosphere, with lots of outdoor space available and a park 1 minute up the road which the children frequent. All ages are in 1 room which I think is also brilliant, especially for the younger children, who get to learn off all ages rather than just their immediate peers. The food is cooked locally in Haddenham and delivered and the staff are all so knowledgeable and friendly and provide great app updates every day (with photos!). I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend little hoppers of Dinton :)

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Luke
a year ago

My little boy loves going to hoppers 4 days a week. All the staff are really kind and I love listening to my boy telling me what a great day he has had and what he has been up too

Read on Google

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