Wonderworks preschool
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Derby for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2024. Open since 2022, with 42 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 Derby
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Derby 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
DE21 6LNWhat 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, 20 November 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy their time at this welcoming pre-school. They show excitement as they get ready to play outside in the snowy weather. Staff encourage children to put on their own wellington boots, coats and gloves to ensure they are cosy and warm. Children are curious about the world around them. They show interest as staff talk to them about how the melted snow has frozen and turned to ice.
Children work together using toy tools to safely chip away at the ice to free their play figures. Staff ensure children stay safe. They talk to children about the slippery ground and, when children walk along the obstacle course, staff hold their hands to help them balance. Children use their arm muscles as they playfully throw snowballs, use toy diggers to scoop up snow and use potato mashers to squash up the snow and ice. This helps build on children's emerging interests.
Staff are positive role models. They support children to use their manners, help tidy away resources and to be mindful of others. In turn, children show kindness, giving their friends a hug and allowing them to go first during activities. When children occasionally struggle to manage their behaviours during play, staff gently intervene and acknowledge children's emotions. This helps children deal with their feelings, supporting them to quickly return to their play.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen hygiene practices, so they are consistently embedded to promote children's understanding of good hygiene n strengthen the deployment of staff in order to provide consistent and purposeful interactions for children, which build on their existing skills and knowledge.
- 20 November 2024Good
Still missing for Wonderworks preschool
- 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.