Clowns Day Nursery LTD
Good★ 4.6 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Ripley for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 November 2021. Open since 2000, with 124 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 Derbyshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Derbyshire 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
DE5 3ADWhat 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, 16 November 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle quickly and build positive relationships with the nursery staff. The children are interested in the activities staff provide for them, evidence of how well staff know the children. Children copy staff's actions and learn from them as they stomp together, laugh and make dinosaur noises. They move around the volcano to develop gross motor skills. Children enjoy forest school and talk confidently about what they have been doing in the woodland. They explore the woodland area, kicking the leaves and finding bugs in the bug houses they have made.
Children learn about keeping themselves safe, as they are reminded about trip hazards, risks of the pond and keeping safe while climbing. Children look to staff for reassurance when they need it, and this gives them confidence to persevere.
Children in the baby room bring books to staff so they can read them together.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to plan and deliver activities effectively so that children benefit from intended learning.
- 16 November 2021Good
- 27 August 2015Good
- 16 November 2011Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Clowns Day Nursery LTD
- 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.