Little Berries
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Barnstaple 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 2023. Open since 2011, with 20 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
EX31 4NGWhat 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, 28 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The manager and staff provide interesting and engaging experiences for children, to build their knowledge and help them develop a broad range of skills. Older children learn to count and recognise numbers enthusiastically during games. They take part in activities that help to support their dexterity and coordination and strengthen the muscles in their arms and hands. Children learn to use scissors and draw pictures with control. They develop a love of books, listening with rapt attention when staff read to them. Older children begin to recognise some familiar written words, such as their names and the names of their friends. Younger children play imaginatively and copy their older friends. All children develop a positive attitude and make good progress in their learning.
Children are settled and feel safe and comfortable in the care of the friendly staff team. Parents comment that their children are happy and often enter the setting without saying goodbye in their haste to greet their friends and staff. Children understand the daily routines and staff's expectations for their behaviour. They follow staff's instructions and show respect for the learning environment. For example, when staff play music to indicate it is time to tidy up, the children help to pack away the toys straight away.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review planning to target the babies' and younger children's next steps in learning more precisely and engage them more fully in activities n strengthen the support that staff provide to younger and quieter children to develop their speech and language further as they play.
- 28 March 2023Good
- 27 April 2017Good
- 5 May 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Berries
- 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.