Appletrees Day Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Ripon for babies from 3 months up to school age, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2023. Open since 2009, with 28 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
What childcare usually costs in North Yorkshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in North Yorkshire 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
HG4 3LRWhat 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, 7 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff provide children with a homely setting in a rural location. They have made wonderful links to the outdoors through well-resourced and exciting outdoor play spaces. Children enjoy playing in a mud kitchen, wet-play area and sandpit, which help them to observe and interact with the natural world around them. Indoors, staff offer children age-appropriate activities and routines when they are encouraged to make choices in their learning. Staff help children to build their confidence and resilience through praise, respectful conversations and nurturing support. Children enter the nursery happily and have good bonds with staff and other children.
All children are encouraged to take ownership of their play. Staff use children's interests to extend their knowledge and skills. For example, they extend a topic with a trip on the bus into town to the post office and arrange for a fire engine to visit the nursery. This helps children to learn about people who help them in the community. Children have the choice to play inside, outside and in the 'garden room', which is at the heart of the nursery. This allows free-flow access for children to make the most of the opportunities on offer each day.
The curriculum helps to prepare children for their transition on to school. A
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- create further opportunities for children to talk with each other as well as with adults n plan adult-led activities more precisely, in order to maximise the impact on all children's development n extend opportunities for older children to develop their independence, such as at mealtimes.
- 7 March 2023Good
- 12 April 2017Good
- 30 April 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Appletrees Day Nursery
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Meals
- Nappies
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.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.