Kiddywinks Neighbourhood Nursery and Preschool
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Barnstaple for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 17:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2024. Open since 2013, with 43 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
EX32 8NTWhat 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, 18 November 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children happily enter the nursery where they are met by their key person on arrival. Staff offer a warm welcome and ask children how they are today. They ask parents for any key information about how their children have been to ensure they can care for children's needs. For example, staff ask about babies' sleep patterns and consider if they need to make any changes to their normal sleep time. Staff support children's developing independence and sense of self. For instance, children learn to select their name card before adding it to their coat peg. They then hang their own bags and coats before taking off their shoes independently and putting them in a basket.
The children benefit from a curriculum that focuses on building children's love of learning and exploration. Staff use questions to support children's problem solving and how to think for themselves. For instance, they ask older children what animals they think will be living under logs before checking. They encourage children to make links to books they have read in the nursery about habitats to access previous knowledge and guide their thinking. Staff encourage children to think about what materials they want to make aeroplanes from and which will work best.
Children enjoy investigating and discussing why some materials work better than others. Children are highly motivated in their play and show confidence in their choices. They select resources they want to play with and tell staff what they would like to do.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support all children to understand the rules and behaviours expected at routine times, so they continue to benefit from the learning opportunities provided n improve children's understanding of the possible risks and consequences of their actions, so they are better able to assess risks for themselves.
- 18 November 2024Good
- 13 December 2018Good
- 21 January 2014Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Kiddywinks Neighbourhood Nursery and Preschool
- 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.