The Nest Nursery and Preschool
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Lincoln for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2022. Open since 1994, with 42 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
15 to 30 hours of funded childcare for toddlers aged 2, 3, and 4 years old.
What childcare usually costs in Lincolnshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Lincolnshire 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
LN5 7JZWhat 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, 25 October 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children's emotional well-being is supported well by staff. Children attend settlingin sessions when they first start, to help them to become familiar with staff and the environment. Children who are slightly unsettled when they arrive are comforted.
They sit on a member of staff's knee and receive cuddles of reassurance. This helps them to settle quickly. Children behave well and show kindness to their friends. When children arrive, they happily accept a supporting hand from their friends to join activities. Children play and learn in a safe environment. They are encouraged to hold on to a low-level banister to help promote their safety when they walk up and down stairs in the nursery.
Staff know the children well and plan experiences to help them progress in their learning. Children are encouraged to learn about nature. Younger children are guided to develop their understanding of spiders, for example through songs and books. With help from staff, older children look under logs in the garden. They are excited to find a worm and confidently show visitors what they find. Children are creative when they use water, herbs and flowers to make pretend potions.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to recognise how to enhance opportunities for younger children to extend their large-muscle skills indoors n help staff to support children to understand why they need to use tools and equipment appropriately.
- 25 October 2022Good
- 31 October 2016Good
- 24 September 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Nest Nursery and Preschool
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? 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.