Lavenders Day Nursery
Outstanding★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Bedford for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in August 2022. Open since 1994, with 108 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 Bedford
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Bedford 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
MK40 3QJWhat 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, 9 August 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thrive in this inspirational nursery. Staff are committed to the aims of promoting children's confidence and independence. This shines through in the children and they show an amazing thirst for knowledge, competently exploring and determining their learning. For instance, children look at globes and notice volcanoes. They decide to research these, experimenting to make their own volcanoes and talking confidently about volcanic eruptions at Mount Vesuvius. This leads to discussions about beaches, plastic pollution and ways to travel, making their own airport and 'Air Lavenders'.
Children are truly respected as unique individuals. For instance, staff ask young children if they can change their nappies, respecting their answer and balancing this successfully with ensuring children's needs are met. Children choose when to eat snacks and meals, while recognising that there are reasonable time frames.
This enables them to remain focused on their play and persevere at tasks.
- 9 August 2022Outstanding
- 3 September 2013Outstanding
- 19 January 2011Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Lavenders Day 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.