Garden House Nursery
Good★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Ipswich for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025. Open since 2023, with 53 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 Suffolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Suffolk 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
IP1 1TJWhat 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, 3 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff create an exciting, friendly and inviting environment for children. As a result, on arrival, children readily leave their parents at the door. Staff ensure that activities reflect children's interests. For example, when they show an interest in superheroes, staff provide resources and activities for children to access to develop their imagination. As a result, most children quickly engage in play. They have formed strong friendships with others and play harmoniously together. For example, in the sand tray, children work together to fill buckets of sand, giggling when sand overflows. Younger children spend time with staff building towers out of wooden blocks. Overall, they develop a positive attitude to learning and confidently lead their own play.
The leadership team has a clear vision for the skills they want children to acquire before starting school. They have designed a broad and balanced curriculum that includes opportunities for play both indoors and outside. Consequently, all children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress in their learning and development.
The nursery celebrates and values the diverse backgrounds of all children, encouraging them to share their experiences. This helps children to value their own identity and respect the similarities and differences of others.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to better recognise when some children may need additional support to help them engage in their learning n continue to establish the key-person system with new staff to ensure children form secure attachments and their emotional well-being is supported effectively.
- 3 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
Still missing for Garden House Nursery
- 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.