St John's Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Wimborne 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 2025. Open since 2007, with 26 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
BH21 1LQWhat 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, 12 September 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders thoughtfully plan a curriculum that places focus on preparing children for school. Staff deliver a varied and ambitious curriculum, helping children to develop fundamental skills. These include confidence and independence. This means, children are well prepared for their next stage of learning. Younger children excitedly race cars down guttering and use language such as 'faster' and 'quickly'.
Staff introduce various concepts to children as they explore natural objects and dough. For example, staff encourage children to observe the patterns the shells are creating as they press them firmly into the dough. Older children use magnifying glasses to spot different bugs. Staff use their interactions well to help widen their knowledge of spiders. For instance, they discuss how many legs they have and why they catch flies. Outside, younger children develop their coordination and hand strength as they pour water from one pot to another. Older children build on their strength, stability and spatial awareness when confidently riding bikes alongside their friends.
Staff actively encourage children's independence throughout children's day to day routines. During self-serve snack, children spread their butter, chop their fruit, pour their own drinks and wash their plates. Staff encourage children to make choices, and they use counters to vote for what they have for their snack. As a result, children show strong levels of independence and build essential skills that they need for the future.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- manage transitions more effectively to provide more time for children to comprehend what is happening next, helping to maintain their engagement.
- 12 September 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 17 January 2020Good
- 10 March 2016Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St John's 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.