Tom Thumb Nursery: The Willows
Good★ 4.9 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Kings Lynn for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2025. Open since 2017, with 74 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 Norfolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Norfolk 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
PE30 2NJWhat 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, 26 February 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children behave very well during their time at the setting. Staff teach children the rules and share their expectations. During group time, they talk about the 'golden rules', and children demonstrate their excellent understanding of why the rules are in place. For example, they know that if they run indoors, it could cause an accident. Children play cooperatively together, sharing resources and inviting peers to join their play.
Children demonstrate excellent levels of independence as they get themselves dressed to go outdoors, wash their own hands and carry out small tasks for staff.
Children are given responsibilities to help and support their younger peers and staff across the setting. For example, some children help staff to dry off the equipment outdoors, so it is safe to use. Others help younger peers to do the zips up on their coats. Children are proud of themselves for being helpful and demonstrate a sense of pride and belonging at the setting.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen communication strategies to help parents engage fully in their children's learning and continued development.
- 26 February 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 28 March 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Tom Thumb Nursery: The Willows
- 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.