Dimension Childcare
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Hampshire 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 August 2024. Open since 2000, with 135 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 Hampshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hampshire 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
PO8 9PQWhat 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, 29 August 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are cared for at this nursery where the overarching aim is for children to be happy and make good progress. Staff create a friendly and warm atmosphere and greet children with an enthusiastic welcome each morning. They have high expectations of children and have worked together to devise a curriculum that focuses on children's interests and building on their knowledge. Because all the staff have a shared knowledge of the curriculum, they are able to support children regardless of the room in which they are based.
Children are confident and demonstrate they feel safe and secure. Babies gain a sense of belonging as staff sing good morning to each child. Babies recognise themselves in photos and regularly snuggle up to the staff for cuddles. Toddlers also enjoy looking at photos of their families. They learn about each other's home lives and about their similarities and differences. Pre-school children confidently express their views and opinions to staff. When they have minor disagreements over resources, staff gently explain the importance of taking turns. All children enjoy regular opportunities to play outside. They have use of large-scale play equipment to develop their gross motor skills and enjoy taking part in yoga.
Toddlers learn how to bend and stretch and pre-schoolers have fun with 'dinosaur'
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to further develop their good interactions with children so that they make the most of opportunities to extend children's learning n consider how the outdoor curriculum for toddlers can be planned and sequenced more coherently to extend their learning further and support those who prefer to play in the natural environment.
- 29 August 2024Good
- 7 September 2018Good
- 16 April 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Dimension Childcare
- 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.