Blandford Opportunity Group
OutstandingBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Blandford Forum for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in March 2022. Open since 1993, with 26 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
DT11 7BUWhat 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, 30 March 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children flourish in this extremely welcoming and supportive group. They are very settled and safe. Children develop very positive attitudes to others and interact happily in their play. They readily reach out to staff for a spontaneous cuddle or supporting hand. Staff clearly value each child's individuality and have a strong commitment to supporting all children to achieve. They provide a curriculum that enables all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make excellent progress from their starting points.
Children gain very good self-esteem and confidence in their play. They are motivated to learn through exploration and curiosity. For example, they show clear delight as they reach out to touch the sparkly lights of a sensory bubble lamp. They are keen to use the voice- or touch-activated resources that initiate colourful patterns of soft lights or sound. Children watch fascinated as these reflect on the walls around them. Children like singing counting songs together and develop an early awareness of number. They help staff to count how many 'little speckled frogs' are left 'sitting on a speckled log'. Children strengthen their hand-to-eye coordination skills, such as when pouring water in and out of containers, or filling and emptying buckets of sand. They have great fun splashing in the water tray or playing peekaboo in the outdoor playhouse.
The management team and staff supported children and their families extremely well during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents spoke very positively about the continual contact that staff kept with them and how this helped their children's learning and well-being.
- 30 March 2022Outstanding
- 12 October 2015Outstanding
- 27 February 2009Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Blandford Opportunity Group
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.