Ducklings Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Weymouth for children from birth to 8+, open 08:45 to 17:45, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2022. Open since 1993, with 21 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 Dorset
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Dorset 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
DT3 4DXWhat 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, 11 May 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The kind and caring staff welcome the children warmly as they arrive. Children enter the pre-school happily, and confidently separate from their parents. They greet their friends excitedly, and quickly become engaged in activities of their choice. Children have tremendous fun as they mix flower petals, leaves and water to make 'perfume'. They develop their hand-to-eye coordination as they carefully scoop up water and transfer it to bottles. Children have many opportunities to develop their early drawing and writing skills. Younger children paint enthusiastically and older children learn to write their names. Staff skilfully weave mathematical language and counting throughout routines and play. This supports children's early mathematics skills successfully.
Children feel safe and secure. Staff form strong bonds with them and give them plenty of praise. This supports children's emotional well-being effectively. Children behave well and have high levels of confidence. They learn to take turns and respond well to guidance and gentle reminders from staff. Parents complete 'wow'
certificates for their children at home. Children bring these into the pre-school to share with staff and are immensely proud of their achievements.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to plan activities more effectively and ensure there are sufficient resources so that all children gain the best possible learning from planned activities n enhance existing arrangements for monitoring practice that help staff to learn from each other, to improve their practice even further.
- 11 May 2022Good
- 8 November 2016Good
- 12 February 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Ducklings 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.