The Willows Day Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Spalding for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 to 18:45, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2023. Open since 2012, with 60 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 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
PE12 8LLWhat 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, 14 July 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are becoming confident communicators. From a young age, staff focus their teaching on children's growing use of language and communication development. Singing and reading stories feature frequently in the daily routine for all ages. Babies are supported by staff to take turns in choosing a prop that represents a song. They confidently finish the end of sentences, singing 'quack, quack, quack', showing clarity in their pronunciation. Toddlers recall their prior learning as staff read familiar books. They remember that their pet caterpillar was
'spiky'. Pre-school children independently recite well-known fairy tales while making characters with dough and using puppets to retell the story. Through staff's wellplanned activities, children build a rich and varied vocabulary of new and exciting words.
Staff are clear about what they are teaching and why. Children practise and build on their skills. Their learning develops over time and becomes securely embedded.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- act swiftly, and communicate effectively with parents and external services, so that children with emerging SEND are supported without delay - adapt the organisation of group learning times so that all children get the most from the planned learning experience.
- 14 July 2023Good
- 8 February 2023Inadequate
- 24 February 2017Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Willows 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.