Childcare in Shaftesbury (Dorset)
Shaftesbury (Dorset) has 3 day nurseries, 1 pre-school, 1 school nursery class, 2 childminders and 1 after-school club. Ofsted has inspected 4 of them, and rated every one Good or better, 3 of them Outstanding. 4 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Across Dorset there are 37 places per 100 children under five, better supplied than England as a whole at 32.
Places per 100 under-fives is registered capacity at nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across Dorset, divided by the children aged 0 to 4 who live there at the 2021 Census. It compares areas; it is not a count of free places today. It also leaves out the 60 school nursery classes across Dorset, because nobody publishes how many children they take.
What has changed here
Ofsted does not publish closures, so we work them out by comparing releases. Worth knowing if you are working from an old list.
- Jun 2026Closed Premier Education - Shaftesbury Primary Out-of-school day care
- Dec 2025Closed Little Acorns Pre-school Sessional day care
- Jun 2025Opened Stagecoach Shaftesbury Sessional day care
What people ask about childcare in Shaftesbury (Dorset)
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
Which nurseries in Shaftesbury (Dorset) take funded hours?
1 of the 8 settings in Shaftesbury (Dorset) are recorded as taking the government funded hours. Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.
Are any nurseries in Shaftesbury (Dorset) rated Outstanding?
Yes. 3 of the 4 settings Ofsted has inspected in Shaftesbury (Dorset) hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Shaftesbury (Dorset) take babies?
6 settings in Shaftesbury (Dorset) are registered to take children under two. Ofsted's register does not say whether a setting runs a baby room or has space in it, so ring before you plan around it.
Is it hard to get a nursery place in Shaftesbury (Dorset)?
Dorset has 37 registered childcare places for every 100 children under five, against 32 across England. That is registered capacity rather than free places, so it compares areas rather than telling you what is available this week.
Towns close to Shaftesbury (Dorset)
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.