Sessional pre-school in Acton, Ealing
Big Dippers Preschool
Our Lady of Lourdes Church Hall, Oldham Terrace, Acton, W3 6NH · Getting there
Is it good?
Read the Ofsted reportOfsted report card
- InclusionStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Behaviour and routinesExpected standard
- Children's welfare and well-beingExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- SafeguardingStandards met
What does this mean?
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each nursery a report card. Each area is graded on a five-step scale: urgent improvement, needs attention, expected standard, strong standard, exceptional. Safeguarding is either met or not met. There is no single headline grade, and we never make one up.
Official records
Fees
Fees and ages: not published yet
Thanks. We count every request and show the nursery how many parents are asking.
Nurseries in Ealing that publish fees charge £70–£130 a day for under-2s (4 nurseries). This is the area's range, not this nursery's.
Hours and ages
- Monday to Friday
- 08:00–16:00
Ages: not published yet.
Getting there
Our Lady of Lourdes Church Hall, Oldham Terrace, Acton, W3 6NH · More nurseries in W3
Stations
- Acton CentralNo step-free access8 min walk · 0.3 miles
- South ActonNo step-free access11 min walk · 0.4 miles
- Acton TownStep-free access13 min walk · 0.5 miles
Buses
11 bus stops within 400 m, including Acton Old Town Hall, Acton Old Town Hall / Salisbury Street and Meon Road.
Parks and playgrounds
- Mill Hill Park3 min walk
- The Woodlands5 min walk
- Poets' Corner Community Garden7 min walk
- Springfield Gardens7 min walk
- Acton Park8 min walk
- Playground3 min walk
© OpenStreetMap contributors, checked 13 November 2026 · Powered by TfL Open Data, checked 13 November 2026. Walking times are rough, from straight-line distance.
Places and next steps
Spaces: not published yet. Nurseries often fill months ahead, so ask early.
In Ealing there are about 3.9 children under 5 for every registered nursery place. Places are how many children nurseries may care for, not free spaces, so this is a guide to demand. Source: ONS Census 2021.
What parents say
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Write a reviewAbout Big Dippers Preschool
Big Dippers Preschool is a sessional pre-school at Our Lady of Lourdes Church Hall, Oldham Terrace, Acton, W3 6NH, in Acton, Ealing. It is registered for 40 children. It opens 08:00–16:00, Mon–Fri. Its Ofsted report card (January 2026) grades inclusion Strong standard, curriculum and teaching Expected standard, achievement Expected standard, behaviour and routines Expected standard, children's welfare and well-being Expected standard and leadership and governance Expected standard; safeguarding standards met. It has a Google rating of 5.0 from 1 review (November 2026). It is run by North Star Preschool Limited.
Run by North Star Preschool Limited (company), which runs 3 nurseries.
Compare nurseries nearby
| Nursery | Ofsted | Full day from | Hours | Ages | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Dippers PreschoolThis nursery | Report card 2026 | not shared yet | 08:00–16:00 | not shared yet | This nursery |
| Kids Castle Preschool LtdFull-day nursery | Not yet inspected | not shared yet | 07:45–18:00 | not shared yet | 0.2 miles |
| South Acton Childrens CentreFull-day nursery | Outstanding | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | not shared yet | 0.2 miles |
| Little Foot Steps Day NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 07:30–18:00 | 3 mo–5 yrs | 0.3 miles |
| Cybertots LimitedFull-day nursery | Outstanding | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | 2–5 yrs | 0.3 miles |
| Cybertots at Acton GardensFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | 3 mo–5 yrs | 0.3 miles |
| Ark Start South ActonFull-day nursery | Not yet inspected | not shared yet | 08:00–17:30 | from 9 mo | 0.3 miles |
A dash means the nursery hasn't published it yet. Distances are in a straight line.
- All nurseries in Acton10
- All nurseries in Ealing126
- All nurseries in W322
- Nurseries near Acton Central station
Nearby areas
Schools nearby
- Snowflake School ages 5–16 0.2 miles
- Ark Priory Primary Academy Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Quality of education: Outstanding; Behaviour and attitudes: Outstanding; Personal development: Outstanding; Leadership and management: Outstandinginspected June 2025 0.2 miles
- South Acton Childrens Centre Nurseryages 2–5has a nursery classOfsted: Outstandinginspected May 2023 0.2 miles
- Derwentwater Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Standards maintainedinspected December 2024 0.3 miles
- Acton Gardens Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Good; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Goodinspected May 2025 0.3 miles
- Ark Byron Primary Academy Primaryages 4–11Ofsted: School remains Good (Improving)inspected February 2024 0.3 miles
- Blooming Tree School ages 3–11 0.3 miles
- Maples Nursery School and Children's Centre Nurseryages 2–5has a nursery classOfsted: Report cardinspected February 2026 0.4 miles
Straight-line distances. Places depend on each school's admissions rules. From the Department for Education and Ofsted.
Questions parents ask
Got a question? Ask and get an answer straight away.
What are Big Dippers Preschool's opening hours?
Big Dippers Preschool opens 08:00–16:00, Mon–Fri.
What is Big Dippers Preschool's Ofsted rating?
Big Dippers Preschool was inspected on 13 January 2026 and given an Ofsted report card. Report cards grade each area separately rather than giving one headline grade: inclusion Strong standard, curriculum and teaching Expected standard, achievement Expected standard, behaviour and routines Expected standard, children's welfare and well-being Expected standard and leadership and governance Expected standard. Safeguarding standards met.
How many children can Big Dippers Preschool take?
Big Dippers Preschool is registered with Ofsted for up to 40 children at any one time.
Who runs Big Dippers Preschool?
Big Dippers Preschool is run by North Star Preschool Limited, which runs 3 nurseries.
What is the nearest station to Big Dippers Preschool?
Acton Central is the nearest station we know of, 0.3 miles away in a straight line.
How do I contact Big Dippers Preschool?
You can call 07462 646763.
Tools for parents in Ealing
- Childcare cost calculatorMonthly cost with funded hours
- Funded hours checkerWhich schemes you qualify for
- Funded hours start dateWhen your child's hours begin
- Tax-Free Childcare calculatorThe 20% top-up on your bill
- Visit checklist for this nurseryPrintable questions, pre-filled
- Cost of nursery in EalingFees by age in Ealing
About this information
- Registration and inspections: Ofsted · 30 June 2026
- Rating and review themes: Google · 12 November 2026
- Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools · 4 November 2026
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Department for Education data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right; contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.
- © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Powered by TfL Open Data
- Source: Office for National Statistics, Census 2021, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Read reviews on Google
Last checked 12 November 2026 · Ofsted URN 2750333 · Plain-text version · Report a mistake
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