Orchard Vale Nursery School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Barnstaple for children from birth to 5, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2022. Open since 2009, with 7 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
EX32 8QYWhat 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, 20 September 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. Although children have only recently returned to the nursery after the summer break, they settle in very quickly. They arrive eagerly and greet staff warmly with spontaneous cuddles. Children are kind and keen to assist staff in their tasks, particularly the older children who help to take care of their younger friends. For example, they notice when the babies' sleeves are too long and roll up them back up to enable the babies to use their hands.
Children are provided with a broad and interesting curriculum. Babies confidently toddle around their environment, developing their leg muscles, balance and coordination as they explore the variety of resources on offer. Children enjoy mixing ingredients to make play dough. They use their senses to explore the texture and smell the fresh mint they have added. The older and more confident children share their thoughts and ideas using good vocabulary, such as commenting that the flour is 'fluffy' and 'wiggly', and that it becomes 'slimy' when mixed with water. Children learn to consider risks and attempt only what they feel comfortable to try. For example, while the older children clamber over a climbing frame with confidence, babies manage a few rungs tentatively, and then decide to climb back down.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the monitoring and support for staff to develop their interactions with babies and toddlers further, to extend the younger children's language skills.
- 20 September 2022Good
- 29 April 2015Outstanding
- 6 May 2010Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Orchard Vale Nursery 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.