Messy Hands
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Daventry for children from birth to 5, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2023. Open since 2016, with 30 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 West Northamptonshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West Northamptonshire 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
NN11 4RBWhat 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, 15 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are welcomed into the setting by caring staff. They show they feel safe and secure as they separate well from their parents and carers. Children happily follow the daily routine of the setting as they confidently wash their hands upon arrival. Children hang their coats on named pegs before self-selecting from the wide range of experiences planned by the staff.
Children greet their friends and quickly become engaged in play. They are keen to explore the play dough. Staff support children to develop their small hand muscles.
They help them to use scissors to cut herbs and rollers to flatten the play dough.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- promote children's independence more consistently by encouraging them to do more things for themselves n review and improve staff deployment during routine activities to extend and continue children's purposeful learning.
- 15 March 2023Good
- 3 July 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Messy Hands
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.