Willowdene Nursery School
GoodTakes funded hours★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Basingstoke for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 17:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2021, though that is 5 years ago now. Open since 2000, with 45 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Grant funded children – All children are eligible for Government grant funding from the term following their third birthday when an allowance of 570 funded hours is given per year. This funding is applied as a Stretched Offer - 11 funded hours per week for 51 weeks of the year. We offer the Extended funding for eligible working families in England of children aged 9 months to 4 years which equals.
Worth knowing. We have a minimum attendance of 15 hours per week for children in our Pre-School room (3yrs +) however for children who are eligible for the Extended funding (known as 30hrs) we have a minimum attendance of 3 days or 27 hours. Our minimum attendance at our Sherfield Park site is 18 hours per week for 27 hours for those on the Extended funding.
What childcare usually costs in Hampshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hampshire 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
RG24 8LTWhat 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, 13 May 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are settled and happy at the nursery. They form positive relationships with their key persons and other staff. In particular, babies develop warm, caring bonds with the staff looking after them and with each other. For example, older babies know the other children's names and show that they are pleased to see their friends. Children take part in fun activities, where they explore and experiment and become engaged in their learning. For example, babies tipped and poured pasta into different containers. Older children became fascinated with collecting raindrops using different sized containers. They used a good range of mathematical language as they collected the raindrops. Children build on their own play such as toddlers who dug in the soil and then brought a familiar book to staff to read to them about
'squelching' through the mud. Children develop their independence well. They learn to manage their care needs such as using tissues and older children use the toilet and wash their hands by themselves. Children develop good confidence, including being able to manage risks, such as when balancing on the crates outside. Children learn to make their own choices. For example, toddlers use 'song spoons' to sing a variety of nursery rhymes.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- build on the staff team work to ensure all children's individual needs are consistently identified and met n support staff to implement the expected behaviour management strategies, to help children learn to manage their own feelings, and continue developing good relationships with other children.
- 13 May 2021Good
- 10 December 2019Inadequate
- 14 January 2015Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Willowdene Nursery School
- What it costs
- Youngest age taken
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? 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.