The Willows Daycare Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Soham for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 February 2022. Open since 1993, with 68 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
CB7 5EEWhat 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, 8 February 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children happily join in with a wide range of play-based activities in this spacious and inviting nursery. The experiences and activities that they enjoy are carefully organised by staff to support children's developmental progress. Children gain new knowledge and skills. For example, babies enjoy hearing staff say the names of animals and the sounds that they make. Older children learn more detailed information, such as why flamingos are pink.
All children become confident communicators during their time at the nursery. This is because the staff who care for them focus on developing their speaking and listening skills. Children behave well. They respond to requests from staff. For example, children take notice when a member of staff reminds them how to use sand safely. This helps to maintain their own and one another's safety. Children who speak English as an additional language grow in confidence. Their home languages are valued. For example, staff let them choose what language to say
'hello' in during their group song time. The close relationships that children have with the staff help them to feel safe and secure. Children's needs for rest, sleep and exercise are well met. The nursery provides a range of healthy meals that are appealing to children, while being nutritionally balanced.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop further the planning of opportunities and activities for babies who may prefer to learn outdoors n monitor and evaluate staff practice more closely, giving them constructive feedback that helps them to know how to further improve their interactions with children.
- 8 February 2022Good
- 21 January 2016Good
- 5 March 2013Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Willows Daycare 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.