Serpentine Nursery School Ltd
OutstandingTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Buxton for babies from 3 months up to school age, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in March 2022. Open since 2007, with 57 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
We offer funded places to eligible 2 year olds, universal 15 hour places for 3 & 4 year olds, and the 30 hour funding for eligible families.
What childcare usually costs in Derbyshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Derbyshire 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
SK17 9ARWhat 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, 7 March 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
All children thrive at this very inclusive nursery. Staff's learning intentions for children are very personalised. Children have a very positive attitude to their learning and their behaviour is exemplary. They develop the necessary skills required for their future learning. Children arrive excitedly with their parents to the nursery and quickly settle into their chosen play. All children are keen explorers and excited to have a go. Babies establish very strong relationships with staff and sit with them as they play. They show high levels of concentration, and focus as they carefully place rings on top of one another. Babies clap and beam with delight as staff enthusiastically celebrate their achievements. Toddlers expertly use paint brushes during art and craft activities. They show sustained levels of interest as they make marks on paper.
Staff ignite discussions with pre-school children to support their understanding and speaking skills. Children hold complex conversations with one another during imaginative play. Their range of vocabulary is vast. Children say, 'You be the pilot but don't go to sleep, I'll be the co-pilot.' Among themselves, they decide they want to fly to 'girl land'.
Children explore the stimulating environment without fear. Staff teach them to take small, age-appropriate risks to help them learn to keep themselves safe. Toddlers readily climb up and slide down the play equipment, demonstrating excellent balance and control. Pre-school children tell visitors how they enjoy swimming with their friends on nursery outings and 'feel safe' in the water. In the outdoor play area, pre-school children initiate running and hide and seek games between themselves. They confidently and safely navigate the space, manoeuvring themselves over various large obstacles with great agility.
- 7 March 2022Outstanding
- 24 September 2015Outstanding
- 7 January 2009Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Serpentine Nursery School Ltd
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.