St. Michael's Nursery
GoodTakes funded hours★ 4.2 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Barnstaple 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 They do not publish prices, so ask.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 Good by Ofsted in October 2022. Open since 2013, with 77 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Working Entitlement Funding (funded hours) from the term after your child is 9 months old, up to 30 funded hours per week during term time (or up to 22 hours per week if claimed throughout the year - 'stretched funding'); 2 year olds may be entitled to Targeted Funding (upto 15 hours / 11 hours 'stretched) per week; 3-4 year olds are all entitled to Universal Early Years Entitlement Funding, up to.
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
EX31 2DBWhat 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, 26 October 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children benefit from a sequenced curriculum. This focuses on developing the children's communication and social skills during each stage of their time at the setting, preparing them effectively for school. The setting has established very strong links with the local schools. They invite teachers to take part in an event that parents can attend before applying for school places.
Children develop trusting attachments with the caring staff, who attend to their individual needs well. Young babies and older children seek out staff for cuddles and reassurance when they need it. Staff are warm and responsive. This helps children to feel safe and secure.
Children are excited to explore the setting, including the extensive outdoor area that has been very well developed to support their learning and development across all areas of learning. They are physically active in their play and encouraged to take appropriate risks as they balance, climb and use tools. Older children use tweezers and spades safely, showing good levels of control. Babies and toddlers enjoy learning to catch and throw balls as they play outside. Children develop independence skills as they manage their own waterproof suits and boots and put them away properly.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: - further develop the quality of teaching to a consistently high standard throughout the setting n identify targets for improvement for staff as part of their continued professional development.
- 26 October 2022Good
- 23 January 2017Good
- 4 October 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St. Michael's Nursery
- 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.