The Beacon Day Nursery and Preschool
Outstanding★ 4.7 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Woodbridge 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 Outstanding by Ofsted in February 2024. Open since 2021, with 51 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 Suffolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Suffolk 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
IP12 2GAWhat 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, 15 February 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders and practitioners offer an extremely welcoming nursery where all children and their families feel fully included and valued. Practitioners uphold the highest expectations and aspirations for all children. This approach, together with an exceptionally well-designed curriculum, helps to ensure that children constantly acquire knowledge and skills. The nursery is a hive of activity and children show a great enthusiasm for having a go at challenging tasks or finding out something new. For example, pre-school children show high levels of perseverance as staff encourage them to try different ways to complete more-complex puzzles.
Practitioners play alongside children. They inspire children's ideas and create many opportunities for them to follow these through. For example, children explore their passion for baking by sharing recipe suggestions with the setting's chef.
Practitioners foster the involvement of the younger toddlers by offering pictures of foods for them to choose from.
- 15 February 2024Outstanding
- 21 February 2023Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 1 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Beacon Day Nursery and Preschool
- 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.