Tops Day Nursery Christchurch
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Christchurch 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 January 2025. Open since 2017, with 77 places.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
BH23 1DEWhat 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.
- 29 January 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 21 January 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happily and settle quickly at this warm and welcoming nursery. They share close relationships with staff, who are nurturing and kind in their approach.
Consequently, children feel safe and secure. For example, babies enjoy a nurturing environment where they receive lots of cuddles and warm interactions from the staff who care for them. Toddlers and pre-school children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills, and they spend much of their time outside benefiting from fresh air and exercise. Toddlers are supported well by staff to master the skill of climbing the steps to go down a slide, and pre-school children are extremely independent. Children are well behaved. Staff give the children lots of praise and encouragement for their good behaviour and their achievements. As a result, children respond with smiles, are confident and have high self-esteem.
Staff provide a broad curriculum that focuses on building key skills that children need for their next stage of development, including starting school. All children make good progress from their individual starting points because staff get to know the children well and provide targeted support. Staff work closely with parents and other agencies to ensure a successful shared approach.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop the consistency of staff engagement and their interactions with children to fully support and extend each child's learning consistently n support staff to develop further strategies during adult-led activities and at transition times to keep children engaged and focused on their learning.
- 21 January 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 3 April 2023Good
- 18 July 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Tops Day Nursery Christchurch
- 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.