The Balsam Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Wincanton for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2024. Open since 2019, with 85 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 Somerset
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Somerset 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
BA9 9RUWhat 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, 23 January 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and arrive at the nursery eager to learn. Staff's interactions with children are warm, caring and nurturing. They are enthusiastic and praise children for their efforts. Staff provide children with a varied curriculum that enables them to make good progress. They support children well to make choices and decisions during their play. Staff consistently make children's learning enjoyable and exciting. Consequently, children feel happy and safe and are motivated and active learners.
Staff form secure attachments with children through an effective key-person system. Management and staff get to know the children and their families well.
They implement robust settling-in arrangements when children start to attend the nursery, to help them feel safe and secure. Relationships are sensitive and responsive across the nursery. Babies benefit from consistent care routines and effective key-person arrangements, which helps them to quickly settle in and become familiar with the learning environment.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the organisation of large-group activities so that children consistently benefit from the intended curriculum n make greater use of spontaneous opportunities to encourage children to talk about size, quantities and numerals.
- 23 January 2024Good
- 11 January 2022Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Balsam 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.