Tops Day Nurseries - Wareham
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Wareham for children from birth to 8+, open 06:30 to 18:30, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 2001, with 47 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
BH20 4AXWhat 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, 22 April 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are safe and happy in the care of friendly and knowledgeable staff.
Parents no longer enter the nursery since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Staff provide comforting support to help children feel emotionally secure as they leave their parents. After saying goodbye, and a cuddle if needed, children settle quickly into their play. Children's behaviour is good and they play well together.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- ensure planned activities consistently build on children's next steps in learning to enable all children to make the best possible progress.
- 22 April 2022Good
- 29 June 2015Outstanding
- 4 September 2009Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Tops Day Nurseries - Wareham
- 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.