Holwell Nursery School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Sherborne for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 17:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2024. Open since 1993, with 46 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
DT9 5LPWhat 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, 13 September 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children and their families receive a warm welcome into this nurturing and caring nursery. Children arrive happy and quickly engage in motivating and challenging activities that staff organise for them. Older children rush in, independently put their coats on their pegs, greet staff and start playing with their friends. New children receive nurturing and sensitive support from their key person to help them settle into nursery. Staff build strong relationships with children and parents. They work with parents to gather information about children's individual needs. This enables staff to support children to make good progress from the outset.
Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They take time to embed the routines and boundaries in each room. This helps children to feel safe and secure.
Staff interact positively with children and adapt quickly to their interests. For example, older children make snails with play dough. Staff extend this learning by taking children outside to forage for snails and other creatures. Children show joy and curiosity as they look for snails in the mud. These thoughtful moments help children to develop a love of learning and extend their focus and concentration.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to give children the time they need to share their ideas and to practise using new vocabulary to develop children's communication skills further n help older children to develop their independence skills further by offering more opportunities for them to complete tasks for themselves.
- 13 September 2024Good
- 24 October 2018Good
- 7 November 2017Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Holwell 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.