Focus Nursery School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Wareham for children from birth to 8+, open 08:30 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2022. Open since 2005, with 18 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
BH20 4PHWhat 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 March 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children have positive relationships with staff and their friends. They play cooperatively. Younger children learn to take turns when staff ask them at group times to find their names on a board. Older children are keen to take part and are confident to stand up in front of others to identify their name.
Children show a willingness to help staff. For instance, when routines of the day change, children thrive on the responsibility of helping to tidy up and wash the dishes. Children receive support from staff to learn new skills, such as how to use scissors. They listen and follow instructions when staff ask them to open and shut the scissors.
Children demonstrate their natural curiosity as they explore flour and water during sensory play. They manipulate their fingers, whisks and spoons to mix the ingredients together. Children develop their smaller hand muscles in preparation for writing.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to ask questions consistently that encourage children to think and discuss their ideas and understanding, to extend their learning further.
- 11 March 2022Good
- 21 November 2013Outstanding
- 24 November 2008Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Focus Nursery 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.