Mama Bear's Day Nursery
Good★ 4.8 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Bristol for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 June 2023. Open since 2013, with 80 places.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
BS8 2STWhat 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.
- 11 December 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 7 June 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Babies and children thrive at this setting, lead by enthusiastic, caring and nurturing staff. The ambitious and individualised curriculum supports learning based on their individual interests. Staff skilfully adapt activities to meet the individual need and age range of the babies and children. This means all children make good progress in their learning including, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those children who speak English as an additional language.
Older children learn new vocabulary, such as 'spiky', and practise their fine motor skills using tweezers to pick up real slices of oranges and lemons. Staff strengthen children's thinking skills by using open-ended questions, such as 'What are you going to do with those?' the children respond, 'I am making an orange cake, it smells like oranges'.
Staff encourage independence for babies and younger children when they model washing hands before mealtimes, then allowing them to try themselves. Staff support communication and understanding by repeating the phrase 'wash hands'
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the outside area for under twos to enhance opportunities to build on their overall learning outdoors.
- 7 June 2023Good
- 16 August 2017Good
- 11 June 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Mama Bear's 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.