Play 2 Learn Day Nursery
Good★ 4.7 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Bedford for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2023. Open since 2000, with 75 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 Bedford
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Bedford 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
MK41 7PNWhat 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 September 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle quickly into the nursery. Staff obtain essential information from parents to get to know children very well. Staff use this knowledge to help children feel secure and engage in play. For example, as babies like waving their arms and tapping tables, staff offer musical instruments for them to shake and tap. This helps them learn about what their bodies can do. Staff set up the environment to create a sense of belonging for the children. Children's pictures and photos of their experiences welcome them into the nursery.
Staff offer positive reinforcement, which helps children to behave well. Children are kind to their friends and use their manners. Older children take pride in being the lunchtime helper as they give the plates of food to the other children. The others respond respectfully with a polite 'thank you'. Babies are confident and curious.
They wait with delight as staff encourage them to choose a toy from a bag during a game. They explore the resources to develop all their senses. They squidge play foam in their hands and watch the diggers move about in the garden. Staff encourage children to develop a love of reading. Older children listen to staff read stories with expression. Babies snuggle up to their key person and point to pictures.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- help staff develop teaching skills in the toddler room, so that intended learning for children is implemented more effectively - strengthen teaching to be more reactive to children's various learning dispositions, so that all children have equally high-quality opportunities to learn.
- 15 September 2023Good
- 7 November 2018Good
- 5 June 2018Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Play 2 Learn 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.