The Lodge Playgroup
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Bedford for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 15:00, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 2008, with 20 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 Bedford
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Bedford 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
MK42 7PSWhat 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, 29 January 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy attending this welcoming, nurturing setting. They have secure relationships with staff, helping them to settle quickly. Staff respect children's individuality and have high expectations. Children respond to this positive environment and are confident in their play and exploration, gaining skills that support their future learning. Children concentrate on their play and often set themselves challenges. For example, older children line up items and state the sizes. They add further items, thinking about the additional sizes and naming these, such as 'bigger, biggest' and 'smallest'.
With support from staff, children learn to assess risks and understand safety. For example, children climb onto a wooden block and check the area is clear before jumping off. Staff offer children practical opportunities to learn about healthy practices. For instance, children explore model teeth, using toothbrushes and toy dentist equipment as they talk about how to keep teeth clean. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour and their support to children reflects this. They talk calmly with children about emotions and help them to understand their behaviour. Children respond well and show a growing maturity in resolving minor conflicts. Staff are sensitive to the possible effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns.
They offer children additional support in understanding emotions and interacting with others.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- aid staff in further building on children's learning, for example, for the most-able children and to engage the youngest children, to fully extend their learning.
- 29 January 2024Good
- 18 May 2018Good
- 1 May 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Lodge Playgroup
- 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.