Allsorts Brackenbury
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Portland for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2021, though that is 5 years ago now. Open since 2016, with 38 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Dorset
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Dorset from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
DT5 1JNWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 10 June 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and settled in the warm and nurturing environment of the nursery. They have good opportunities to develop many skills as they follow their interests and share warm, and close relationships with staff.
Managers and staff have high expectations of all children and are committed to helping them make the best possible progress. They have recently reorganised the learning environment so that children can choose more freely to play outside if they want to. This has had a positive impact on children's well-being, with more opportunities for them to develop self-confidence, independence, and self-esteem.
Children are enthusiastic and explore with curiosity and interest. They are confident and behave well. Children learn to use good manners from an early age and share resources well.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- ensure that staff deploy themselves effectively at large group times to encourage all children to fully participate n develop further strategies to encourage children to compare groups of objects and begin to make simple calculations.
- 10 June 2021Good
- 26 September 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Allsorts Brackenbury
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.