Upton Methodist Church Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Poole for children from birth to 5, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025. Open since 1992, with 34 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
BH16 5NNWhat 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, 25 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
This setting provides children with a welcoming and nurturing environment that makes them feel secure and valued. Children benefit from warm and friendly interactions that help them settle quickly. Effective communication between staff and parents ensures that children receive consistent care and support.
Children engage in a variety of creative activities, such as making cards for special occasions. They have access to a wide range of resources that encourage creativity and the development of fine motor skills. Children take pride in their work, carefully painting pictures and arranging materials to create their own unique designs. They use their emerging writing skills to label their work.
The provider promotes physical development through a well-sequenced curriculum that includes activities that build children's locomotor skills. Children enjoy taking part in fun physical challenges, such as balancing, crawling and hopping. These help them develop coordination and strength. Children learn to take turns and support one another, fostering a sense of teamwork and cooperation as they pretend to be pirates rescuing their treasure.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the use of assessment information so that all staff effectively plan and respond to gaps in children's learning and correct their misconceptions quickly so that children make even more progress n support staff to develop consistency in the quality of interactions that help children maintain their concentration and focus, particularly in the outdoor environment.
- 25 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 6 June 2019Good
- 16 October 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Upton Methodist Church Pre-School
- 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.