Rated Good by Ofsted
Places available now for 2, 3 and 4 year olds
Rated Good by Ofsted · Ages 2 to 5
Mon to Fri, 9am to 3pm, term time
Newlands Church, Crawley Green Road, LU2 9TE
Places available now for 2, 3 and 4 year olds · funded hours welcome
Book a visitParents’ guide
The real differences in hours, ages, cost and funded hours, explained simply for Luton families.
A pre-school is usually open in term time, for shorter days, for children aged 2 to 5. A day nursery is usually open all year, from early morning to early evening, and often takes babies. Both are registered with Ofsted and follow the same Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
If you mainly want your child to play, learn and get ready for school, and you can work around term-time hours, a pre-school is often the gentler and more affordable choice.
A charity pre-school in Wigmore, Luton. Ages 2 to 5, Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm in term time. Rated Good by Ofsted. 15 and 30 funded hours accepted.
Side by side
| Pre-school | Day nursery | |
|---|---|---|
| Ages | Usually 2 to 5 | Often from a few months old to 5 |
| Hours | Shorter days, e.g. 9am to 3pm | Long days, e.g. 7.30am to 6pm |
| Weeks | Term time (around 38 weeks) | Most of the year |
| Funded hours | Yes, 15 and 30 hours | Yes, 15 and 30 hours |
| Cost | Usually lower, charged by session | Usually higher, charged by day |
| Run by | Often charities and parent committees | Often private companies |
| Inspected by | Ofsted, using the EYFS | Ofsted, using the EYFS |
Questions
They are similar. Both are registered with Ofsted and follow the same Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The difference is mostly hours and ages: pre-schools usually open in term time for children aged 2 to 5, while day nurseries usually open all year, for longer days, and take babies too.
Yes. Funded hours can be used at any registered setting that offers them, including pre-schools like ours. At Wigmore Under Fives, 15 hours covers five mornings or five afternoons and 30 hours covers five full days.
Often, yes. Pre-schools usually charge by the session and many are run as charities, so fees tend to be lower than full-day nurseries. With funded hours many families pay nothing for their funded sessions.
Yes. Some families split their child’s week between a nursery and a pre-school, for example to use funded hours with us and extra hours elsewhere. We are happy to talk this through.
Children can start with us from 2 years old. Many start the term after their second or third birthday, especially when their funded hours begin.
More help: choosing a pre-school in Luton, free funded hours and areas we serve.
Come and see us
It takes less than a minute. We will call you to arrange a time that suits you.
