Montacute Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Montacute for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2022. Open since 1991, with 24 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 Somerset
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Somerset 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
TA15 6XDWhat 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, 16 March 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy, safe and secure. They arrive eager to investigate the activities and resources and are excited to see their friends. Staff support children well in becoming independent as soon as they arrive. For example, children change their shoes and put on slippers, knowing where to find and place their belongings.
Children wash their hands and go for breakfast, where they help in the preparation. Staff are confident in using mealtimes as learning opportunities. For example, they encourage older children to work out how many plates and cups they need for all the children. Children know that they need bread to make toast and take turns to operate the toaster and butter the toast. Staff provide good role models for children. For example, they ask, 'Well, how do I do that?,' so children demonstrate what they know.
Staff recognise the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children. They focus their curriculum on supporting children's communication and language skills, and their personal, social, and emotional development. Children rapidly make progress in their social skills, as they have previously not had opportunities to socialise. Parents confirm that, although they do not enter the premises as they did before the pandemic, staff meet them daily and exchange good information. They confirm that the staff know their children well and say that they provide 'amazing support'.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- focus staff development on recognising when children need more challenge in the outdoor area to support their understanding of the world further n give children enough time to find solutions to problems for themselves.
- 16 March 2022Good
- 13 December 2013Outstanding
- 22 September 2009Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Montacute Pre-School
- 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.