Dragonflies Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Marlborough for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025. Open since 2004, 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 Wiltshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Wiltshire 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
SN8 3UHWhat 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, 20 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle in at the pre-school quickly. Staff use a range of strategies to help children to become engaged and feel comfortable in their surroundings. They use the information they gather from parents when children start to provide a range of interesting and exciting activities that children enjoy. Staff make the most of routine parts of the day, such as snack time. They recognise the importance of children gaining the skills they require to manage their own needs. Staff differentiate their interactions with children to help them build on the skills they already have. For instance, they help younger children to thread the fruit to form fruit kebabs, whereas older children do this for themselves and persevere, even if it becomes tricky.
Staff plan a programme that ignites children's interest. They deliver this with enthusiasm, helping children enjoy their learning. The curriculum provides varied learning experiences that skilfully build on what children already know. This supports children to develop the skills needed for their next stage of learning.
Children show they are confident and motivated to learn. They are curious about how things work, such as developing their fine motor skills as they learn to use potato peelers to create 'magic wands'. Staff engage in playful interactions with children and encourage them to use and develop their physical skills. Children show delight as they run and climb outside.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide opportunities for children to freely explore without adult interaction to further develop their own ideas and imaginative play.
- 20 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 11 June 2019Good
- 27 April 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Dragonflies 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.