Bramble Bears
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Ashwellthorpe 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 Good by Ofsted in November 2022. Open since 1992, with 24 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 Norfolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Norfolk 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
NR16 1AAWhat 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, 8 November 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Friendly and attentive staff greet children at the door with a welcoming smile.
Children bound in with enthusiasm and an eagerness to play and explore. Child-led learning is at the heart of the provision. On entering this nurturing community preschool, children immediately self-select inviting activities that are familiar to them.
Knowledgeable staff understand that children learn in different ways. This is reflected in the resources made available to them in the outdoor and indoor environments. For example, children who enjoy learning in a physical way develop early mathematical skills as they count how many soft cushioned shapes they can throw into a large soft-play area. Children who like to learn in a visual way delight in going on a bug hunt and looking for fruit and vegetables in the garden with their magnifying glass.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop staff's good teaching skills to challenge children's learning and build on what they already know n focus on consistently supporting children, including children with SEND, to develop independence in managing their self-care needs.
- 8 November 2022Good
- 12 December 2016Good
- 3 October 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Bramble Bears
- 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.