Beaminster Playgroup
OutstandingTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Beaminster for from 2 years up to school age, open 08:30 to 15:30, 5 days a week. £9.50 an hour for 2 Year Olds, and they take the funded hours. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in May 2024. Open since 2008, with 21 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Hourly Rate £9.50 per hour
One published rate. What you pay depends on the days you need and the funded hours you can claim.
Funded hours
Government-funded hours.
Worth knowing. Government‑funded hours will continue to be free of charge unless your child attends Breakfast Club and/or Lunch Club. The three weekly consumable fees listed above apply to all children, including those attending solely through funded hours. These charges cover essential items used throughout the preschool by every child and are therefore non-negotiable.
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
DT8 3BYWhat 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, 24 May 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
At this exemplary pre-school, children flourish as they lead their own play. Children quickly become deeply immersed in their learning. Staff use their comprehensive knowledge of child development to implement a highly ambitious and innovative curriculum. They create an environment that empowers children to be independent. Children learn to be competent at many tasks. They take pleasure in responsibilities, such as drying and putting away cutlery after meals. Patient staff use praise to encourage children's daily practice of essential skills, such as putting on their coats and recognising their names. Staff expertly model resilience and inspire 'can-do' attitudes. Children become confident at solving problems. This prepares children exceptionally well for their next stage of learning.
Children relish experimenting in their play. They creatively mix paint into puddles and incorporate real vegetables into their make-believe soup. Staff know when to participate in the children's play. Their quality relationships and extensive understanding of each child allow them to tailor teaching to every child. They stimulate curiosity through well-crafted questions, enhancing children's creativity and critical thinking.
Staff are impeccable role models, interacting respectfully and kindly with children.
- 24 May 2024Outstanding
- 28 June 2018Good
- 8 July 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Beaminster Playgroup
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- Is £9.50 an hour still the rate? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.