Clarence House Barns Ely
Good★ 4.9 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Ely for children from birth to 5, open 07:30 to 17:30, 7 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2022. Open since 2012, with 52 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 Cambridgeshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Cambridgeshire 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
CB7 4RJWhat 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, 10 January 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are well settled, relaxed and happy. They build strong bonds with staff and show that they feel safe and secure. Children are gaining increasing levels of self-control. They listen to staff's calm explanations about behavioural expectations. Children learn to take turns and share. They show respect towards each other, staff and the environment.
Babies have good space and opportunities to explore and develop good physical skills. They proudly show the marks they make when exploring paint. Toddlers benefit from staff's very calm spoken tones that help to create a positive and calm learning environment. They thoroughly enjoy their explorations of sand and water or choosing books that staff read to them with enthusiasm. Older children have fantastic opportunities to make predictions and speculate as they play, such as when they build volcanoes. They fill bottles with baking powder and share their thoughts about what will happen when they add vinegar to the bottle. Children say it might 'fizz' or that there will be 'bubbles'. They learn that the bottle represents the magma chamber in a volcano. They watch, with awe and wonder, the reaction of the mixed substances that bubble rapidly, overflowing the bottle to replicate lava. Children remember the song staff have created to help them remember the scientific terms of a volcanic eruption.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance partnerships with parents further to help all parents understand how to support their child's individual learning at home n provide all children with equal opportunities to share their thoughts and ideas.
- 10 January 2022Good
- 25 November 2016Good
- 14 February 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Clarence House Barns Ely
- 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.