Dunkeswell Pre-school CIO
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Honiton for children from birth to 5, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2023. Open since 2020, with 31 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
EX14 4JPWhat 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 June 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle quickly and feel secure to happily explore the resources and activities. They make choices and develop a positive attitude to learning. They have strong relationships with staff, who know them well and meet their needs successfully. The manager and staff plan an effective curriculum, identifying what each child needs to be learning next. All children receive the same good-quality learning opportunities to make the best progress they can. Children become increasingly independent. They take care of the environment, wash up paint pots and help to tidy up. They gain a good understanding of health and hygiene. Snack time is a social occasion. Staff encourage children to wash their hands, get their own snack and water bottle, and carry these to the table. They choose which cereal to have and pour their milk. Staff are provide role models by helping and thanking each other.
Leaders deploy staff effectively so that children can make choices and become active learners. Children have daily opportunities to be outdoors and enjoy exercise. They develop large-muscle skills and control as they climb, balance and use the slide. Children eagerly talk about the setting's new allotment, how they grow vegetables and the life cycle of a seed. Staff plan successfully to cover all areas of development indoors and outdoors, so children can choose where they prefer to learn.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- focus staff development on helping children to think of solutions to problems and manage as much as they can to resolve these themselves.
- 29 June 2023Good
- 26 September 2022Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 1 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Dunkeswell Pre-school CIO
- 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.