The Old School Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Blandford 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 Good by Ofsted in April 2022. Open since 2012, with 59 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 Dorset
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Dorset 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
DT11 9LBWhat 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, 21 April 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are very happy and settled. They respond easily to the calm, nurturing and reassuring approach that staff provide, and form trusting relationships. Staff have high expectations for children's learning and provide a varied curriculum following their interests. Children develop positive attitudes to learning and make good progress. Older children show pride in their achievements as they begin to draw recognisable shapes and letters. Babies learn through their senses, expressing great enjoyment as they enthusiastically splash their hands and feet in the water tray. Toddlers begin to use their imaginations and creativity, for example to help staff build a model piano or fire engine. Children become absorbed in activities. They try hard to tighten the strings on a guitar and say they are using their 'concentrating faces'. Children develop positive friendships and show kindness to others. Older children build a seat of wooden blocks and carefully fit one more block on top, so all their friends can sit together. Younger children patiently wait to take turns when using the swinging hammock.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- consider further ways to support children's understanding of linking the written numeral to quantity.
- make more use of everyday routines to strengthen support for all children's participation and promote all aspects of personal development consistently well.
- 21 April 2022Good
- 4 August 2016Good
- 29 October 2012Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Old School 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.