Clyst Valley Pre-School
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Exeter for children from birth to 8+, open 09:15 to 15:15, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2022. Open since 2001, 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 Devon
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Devon 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
EX5 1BGWhat 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, 7 December 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children happily and confidently enter the pre-school, keen to explore the inviting activities available to them. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress. Outside, children use their physical skills to mark out a pretend road on the floor and then ride their bicycles around it. Adult-led activities, such as yoga, help children to develop core strength and an awareness of their body. They develop their concentration skills as they balance and focus on specific poses.
Children have a good understanding of routines. They know to stop and listen when staff ring a small bell. Children gather quietly together for 'circle time', where staff talk to them about the days of the week and the seasons. Children learn to be independent. They place their artwork in their designated trays and freely access resources, such as the decorations to hang on the Christmas tree. Children confidently work together as they add tinsel and baubles to the tree.
Children have good opportunities to develop their early reading skills. Staff read stories to them twice a day as part of a structured routine and children independently snuggle up with a book on cushions after lunch. Each child has their own book bag, which they can use to take home a story of their choice to share with family members.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop mathematical activities even further to ensure older children have sufficient challenge n provide further opportunities for children to extend their language development, particularly during mealtimes, to support their communication skills.
- 7 December 2022Good
- 17 February 2022Needs improvement
- 18 November 2015Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Clyst Valley Pre-School
- 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.