The Lime Tree Children's Day Nursery
Outstanding★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Alton 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 June 2024. Open since 2017, with 48 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 Hampshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hampshire 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
GU34 2RLWhat 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.
- 13 November 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 24 June 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Management and staff provide an inspirational and ambitious curriculum that engages children exceptionally well. Staff provide an enticing environment with plentiful resources and natural materials. They encourage children to freely explore and experiment in a variety of imaginative ways. Staff interact and communicate with the children effectively. They instinctively know when to provide children with extra support, extend their understanding, or step back and let children develop their own learning. Staff sensitively engage with children to enhance their play and learning experiences. Staff model an extensive range of vocabulary. Children consistently hear and practise new words, becoming confident communicators.
Staff are nurturing and caring, and have excellent bonds with children. Staff discuss how enabling children across the nursery to mingle and play together at different times throughout the day benefits them. It helps to strengthen children's social skills, allows them to build bonds with staff from other rooms, and supports siblings to see and play with each other. Children display excellent behaviour and are keen to help staff and each other. They eagerly choose their daily helper role and proudly share what their responsibility is with adults and their friends.
Children thrive and are making rapid progress in their learning and development.
- 24 June 2024Outstanding
- 7 October 2019Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Lime Tree Children's 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.