Barn Owls Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Dorchester 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 August 2024. Open since 2007, with 30 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
DT2 0HGWhat 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, 28 August 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and feel they belong to a community of learners. They form close, trusting relationships with staff who make them feel safe and secure. Babies, young and older children play and learn alongside one another, fostering a nurturing environment. Staff support children in growing in confidence and independence. They entrust children with responsibilities and encourage mutual respect. Older children often take the initiative to guide younger children to make marks and draw colourful pictures on a large chalkboard. Their enthusiasm motivates everyone to get involved and enjoy the learning process.
Leaders have developed a curriculum encompassing all areas of learning. In the mud kitchen, for example, children use multiple skills and recall previously learned knowledge. They read and follow recipes, apply mathematics to measure ingredients, and use social skills to negotiate sharing equipment while they make
Children benefit from spending much of their time in the outdoor environment.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to use questioning more effectively to consistently extend and deepen children's thinking and learning.
- 28 August 2024Good
- 6 November 2018Good
- 26 April 2018Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Barn Owls Nursery
- 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.