The Folly Nursery
Outstanding★ 3.8 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Ilminster for children from birth to 8+, open 07:45 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 2016, with 39 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
TA19 9EYWhat 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
Children are extremely confident and happy. The manager and staff plan a highly ambitious curriculum, planning step by step to prepare children extremely well for school. For example, babies enthusiastically join in with whole-group singing activities, and toddlers build their large-muscle skills and follow instructions as they dance with scarves. They remain impressively engaged and focused, excited to take part while developing essential skills, which underpins their future learning highly successfully. Staff skilfully build children's vocabulary as they play. For instance, children learn what a mechanic, optician and architect do. Older children plan and work together harmoniously to build their own playhouse for the garden.
They work out what equipment they need and how to keep safe using a range of tools, such as a spirit level, electric drill and screwdriver.
The highly enthusiastic staff embed children's development and help them to make links across their learning. For example, babies enjoy exploring musical instruments and staff use words such as 'bang', 'shake' and 'pop'. When looking at a book later, staff expertly encourage them to find the instruments they can see in the book and use the associated words. Older toddlers then independently share books and, on seeing a character with an umbrella, spontaneously sing a song about rain.
- 15 February 2024Outstanding
- 4 April 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Folly 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.