Puddletown Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Dorchester for children from birth to 8+, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 October 2022. Open since 2013, 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 Dorset
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Dorset 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
DT2 8FZWhat 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, 19 October 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happily and ready to learn. They are eager to explore, whether they are playing with water and pasta, or finding out how many stones weigh the same as a pumpkin. Children make choices about their play and select resources independently to develop and explore their own ideas. They share well and take turns with no disagreements. Children are very well behaved.
Staff have high expectations of the children and are committed to helping them develop many skills to support their future learning. Children follow instructions to splat, pinch, squeeze and pass play dough from hand to hand. This helps to develop their hand and finger muscles in preparation for future writing.
The manager recognises that many new experiences and opportunities have been limited for children because of the restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. She plans to extend opportunities for children to integrate into the wider community more. This will help children to build on their essential knowledge of the diverse area in which they live and help them to feel part of this community.
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 maximise their interactions with children, to promote children's communication and language skills more effectively.
- 19 October 2022Good
- 12 January 2017Good
- 2 June 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Puddletown 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.