Opening hours
Breakfast Club: Monday to Friday from 7.45am or 8am; After School Club: Monday to Friday from 3.30pm to 6.00pm (flexible finish times 4pm, 5pm or 6pm)
Flying Start Nurseries
Ofsted: Good
(May 2025)
Number of places
55 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
May 2025
Local authority
Dorset
About this day nursery
Flying Start Nurseries, established in 1990, offers a nurturing environment for children in Shaftesbury and Gillingham. The Shaftesbury nursery, located in a historic town, provides a "home from home" setting with four distinct play areas and ample outdoor space, fostering learning through nature.
It boasts experienced and highly qualified staff, including graduate-level and Early Years Teachers, and offers extracurricular activities like Cosmic Kids Yoga. For parents with older children, the Shaftesbury branch also provides wrap-around care through a breakfast and after-school club for The Abbey School, St James.
The Gillingham nursery, established in 1998, has been recently renovated to offer a cosy and unique learning environment. It features a new management and staff team with extensive experience, as well as a large enclosed garden for outdoor play.
Both nurseries prioritise parent-setting communication through a dedicated app for messages, invoices, and online learning journals. Additionally, Flying Start offers a popular holiday club, providing quality childcare throughout the year for primary school-aged children with a range of engaging activities like arts and crafts, gardening, baking, and construction.
What it's like
Children are happy, joyful and enthusiastic in this setting. They enjoy singing with staff, taking turns to choose their favourite songs, demonstrating their understanding of dynamics and building maturity. Structured routines support children's well-being and promote smooth transitions, fostering good relationships with staff and peers.
Established Since 1990Experienced and Qualified StaffOutdoor Play FocusWrap-around Care OptionsParent Communication App
Pricing & funding
Pricing on request
This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.
Request pricing →Key facts
Session types
Breakfast Club, After School Club, Holiday Club
Term time / All Year
All Year
Established
2006
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for Flying Start Nurseries
Last inspected 8 May 2025 · Jonathan Payne
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
What it's like to attend
Children are happy, joyful and enthusiastic in this setting. They enjoy singing with staff, taking turns to choose their favourite songs, demonstrating their understanding of dynamics and building maturity. Structured routines support children's well-being and promote smooth transitions, fostering good relationships with staff and peers.
Inspector highlights
- Children are happy, joyful and enthusiastic in this setting.
- Children learn woodworking skills with support from staff, confidently naming tools and using them safely.
- Structured routines are well-established to support children's well-being and promote smooth transitions between activities.
- The provider's curriculum is ambitious and builds on children's interests.
- Staff interactions with children are caring and attentive, supporting children in developing self-belief.
Areas to develop
- 1support staff to design curriculum-based activities that sharply focus on their intended learning, so children can practise the skills and knowledge they need to make even more progress
- 2strengthen the consistency of staff teaching skills, particularly for reading, so children can elaborate and use the vocabulary they have learned from books.
Inspection #10368922 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
When necessary, the provider is proactive in working with external agencies to secure the support that children need to ensure they are well-prepared for future learning. Staff spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Outdoor space
The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning.
Parent Reviews of Flying Start Nurseries
5.0
(1)
Tammy-Jai B
9 years ago
Reviews from Google for Flying Start Nurseries. See all on Google Maps
Inspection history
Improved from Requires improvement → Good in 2025
Date: June 2010
- May 2025Good
- August 2024Requires improvement
- July 2019Good
- April 2016Good
- July 2015Good
- June 2010Good
Frequently asked about Flying Start Nurseries
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