Thornbury Play & Learn Nursery
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Bradford for children from birth to 5, open 08:30 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2023. Open since 2016, with 24 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 Bradford
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Bradford 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
BD3 8SAWhat 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, 5 October 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The newly appointed manager and staff team have worked hard to make significant improvements to the overall quality of the setting. Children show that they feel happy and safe in the care of the nurturing adults. They cheerily greet staff and separate well from their parents. Children demonstrate that they are familiar with the nursery routines as they hang up their coats independently and get ready to start their day. Staff know children well. They complete observations and assessments of children's learning and identify what children need to learn next. The highly qualified and experienced manager has a clear understanding of what she intends children to learn and supports staff to implement this in practice.
Children cuddle up to staff as they listen to exciting stories and join in with songs and rhymes. They listen and respond to instructions and join in with conversations.
This helps to build on children's good communication and language skills.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- build on the good performance management procedures to help to identify and address any emerging weaknesses in practice n enhance children's understanding of how their feelings and behaviours may impact on others.
- 5 October 2023Good
- 22 May 2023Inadequate
- 26 April 2018Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Thornbury Play & Learn 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.