The Meadows Day Care Centre
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Chatteris for children from birth to 8+, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 December 2023. Open since 1998, with 44 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 Cambridgeshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Cambridgeshire 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
PE16 6QPWhat 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, 13 December 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and separate from parents with ease. Staff welcome children into their rooms and guide them to a variety of stimulating activities. Children settle at activities quickly. Staff carefully plan experiences based on children's interests and recent experiences. This helps to support children's engagement. For example, younger children enjoy exploring dough, that staff enhance with cake cases and various craft items. Children chat freely with staff about their recent birthdays as they recreate cakes for each other. Older children join sensory activities with enthusiasm and excitement. They combine materials and use tools skilfully.
Children confidently demonstrate their creations and explain with detail to visitors how they work.
Children demonstrate strong attachments to staff by approaching them to ask for support or to just be beside a familiar adult. Staff respond quickly to children's needs, providing support or reassurance. As a result, children feel safe and are confident to explore the setting. Daily access to the secure outside space is enjoyed by all children. They play with sand, soil and construct with planks to create a balancing obstacle course. Overall, children's behaviour is good. Staff support children with their emotional vocabulary and incorporate strategies to develop their understanding of turn taking. Children respond well to praise consistently provided by staff for sharing and showing kindness to each other.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the organisation of mealtimes so that children are calmer and engaged in learning during these times n build on the already good practice and seek further ways to help all staff develop first-rate teaching skills.
- 13 December 2023Good
- 25 May 2018Good
- 11 September 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Meadows Day Care Centre
- 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.