The Cottage Private Day Nursery
Good★ 4.8 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Derby for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 July 2023. Open since 1990, with 68 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 Derby
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Derby 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
DE22 3PDWhat 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, 14 July 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and confident in the nursery. There is an effective key-person system in place that helps children to form strong attachments with staff, promoting their emotional security. Children are supported by staff to be curious and explore. For example, children show fascination as staff show them a ladybird.
Together, they discuss the patterns and spots on the ladybird's wings. Children carefully hold the ladybird, excitedly show their friends and tell them about the ladybird.
Children relish in using their imagination to experiment with mud and water to make potions. Staff provide children with different containers and utensils to support this activity. Children's critical-thinking skills are developing as staff encourage them to consider what they can use to scoop soil into the bottles.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- help staff to extend children's learning during routines and children's self-chosen play, with particular regard to helping children to understand healthy food choices and the impact of exercise on their bodies n strengthen children's understanding by giving clear explanations to help them make sense of instructions and expectations put in place by staff.
- 14 July 2023Good
- 14 August 2017Outstanding
- 14 August 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Cottage Private Day 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.