First Friends PDN
GoodTakes funded hours★ 4.9 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Derby for babies from a few weeks old up to 5 year olds, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2025. Open since 1999, with 36 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
What childcare usually costs in Derby
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Derby 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
DE21 6HPWhat 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, 15 May 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happily at the nursery and confidently leave their parents and carers. They warmly greet staff and their friends and quickly join in with activities.
Older children show that they feel settled and secure as they move freely between indoor and outdoor areas. They engage enthusiastically in conversation with adults and each other. Staff know children well and foster strong relationships with them.
They plan stimulating activities that engage children's interests, build on their skills and help all children to make good progress. Staff recognise children's unique characteristics and understand how best to support them. For example, children with additional needs benefit from daily small-group activities. These help to build on children's social skills and language development and encourage their listening, attention and confidence.
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 understanding of how to extend children's mathematical learning through practical activities and daily routines.
- 15 May 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 23 May 2024Needs improvement
- 28 June 2023Needs improvement
- 9 November 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 4 graded inspections.
Still missing for First Friends PDN
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.