Opening hours
Mon - Fri: 8am - 5:30pm
Kaleidoscope Day Nursery
Ofsted: Expected standard·
5.0(6 Google reviews)
·Sherborne Business Centre, East Mill Lane, SHERBORNE, DT9 3DR · Dorset
Number of places
120 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jan 2026
Local authority
Dorset
About this day nursery
Kaleidoscope Day Nursery, registered with Ofsted in 2010, is a childcare setting for children aged 0-4 years located in Sherborne, Dorset. The day nursery prides itself on providing a calm and harmonious environment where clear expectations are embedded, fostering warm, respectful, and responsive relationships between staff and children.
The inspector noted children thrive in this atmosphere, where staff model kindness and gentle communication, helping children understand how to interact with others. The nursery has a strong focus on inclusive practices, ensuring children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make progress through tailored assessments and targeted activities that develop early communication, physical skills, and social interaction.
They also offer a sensory room and a virtual immersive room to help children build confidence for new experiences. Support for children who speak English as an additional language is also developing well, with management overseeing the use of dual-language resources.
Mealtimes are described as calm, sociable, and well-organised, promoting social development and emotional well-being. The nursery is open all year round, Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:30, and follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum.
Our ethos
Kaleidoscope Day Nursery focuses on recognising the capabilities of babies and young children, fostering their uniqueness, personal growth, confidence, thoughtfulness and sense of justice. They embrace daily learning opportunities, including spontaneous experiences, to optimise child development, aiming to create a warm, secure, and welcoming atmosphere where diversity is valued and parents are considered the child's primary educators.
What it's like
Children experience a calm, predictable day where they feel safe, welcomed, and able to explore with confidence. Well-established routines mean that all children, from the youngest to the oldest, experience efficient, purposeful routines, helping them feel settled and confident in their environment. Children achieve securely from their different starting points, with staff understanding their needs well and adapting activities thoughtfully so all children can participate meaningfully.
Calm environmentStrong relationshipsInclusive practiceSensory playThoughtful routines
Pricing & funding
Funding accepted
15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)
Pricing on request
This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.
Key facts
Age range
birth to 5 years of age
Term time / All Year
All_year
Registered with Ofsted
2010
Ofsted Inspection — new report card
Expected standard
Last inspected Jan 2026
Grade summary
Exceptional
—
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
—
Urgent improvement
—
Each dot represents one of the six inspection categories. Headline is the average of the six grades, rounded up.
Category grades
AchievementExpected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesStrong standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
InclusionExpected standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Age range
0 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted report for Kaleidoscope Day Nursery
Last inspected 20 January 2026 · Jonathan Payne
What it's like to attend
Children experience a calm, predictable day where they feel safe, welcomed, and able to explore with confidence. Well-established routines mean that all children, from the youngest to the oldest, experience efficient, purposeful routines, helping them feel settled and confident in their environment. Children achieve securely from their different starting points, with staff understanding their needs well and adapting activities thoughtfully so all children can participate meaningfully.
Inspector highlights
- Children thrive in a consistently calm and harmonious environment with clear expectations.
- Relationships between staff and children are warm, respectful, and highly responsive.
- Children make steady progress through the curriculum from their different starting points.
- Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make progress through tailored small-step assessment and targeted activities.
- The provider has developed a sensory room and a virtual immersive room to help children build confidence.
Areas to develop
- 1Leaders should strengthen staff's teaching skills so that the curriculum is taught consistently well and all children benefit from high-quality learning.
- 2Leaders should sharpen the precision of monitoring so that feedback to staff consistently improves staff's practice.
Inspection #10414321 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make progress through tailored small-step assessment and targeted activities that develop early communication, physical skills, and social interaction. The provider ensures care plans, medical guidance, and sensory strategies are followed consistently, adapting activities so all children can participate. Staff act quickly to address emerging needs and use funding for additional sessions and sensory-based interventions.
Outdoor space
Babies and toddlers explore freely outdoors, such as splashing in puddles, with staff supporting their curiosity and physical confidence. Young children build language through discussions about what they observe, like trains passing by and seaside creatures in outdoor water play.
EAL / language support
Support for children who speak English as an additional language is developing well, with management oversight strengthening the use of dual-language resources.
Google Reviews of Kaleidoscope Day Nursery
5.0
(6 Google reviews)
Jemma Friday
3 years ago
This is a truly wonderful nursery. My children have been very well supported whilst attending Kaleidoscope. Their staff are knowledgeable & hard working but most of all fun. They are always on hand to share best practices in all of the challenges that comes with parenting and care. The nursery and it’s staff are amazing. Thank you
Read on Google
Fizzy 5
5 years ago
This Nursery is amazing. Everything I have been looking for. I love the staff, the garden area, the home cooked meals, they have amazing activities and my children are always happy to be there.
Read on Google
Gill Crowther
a year ago
Shell Guppy
5 years ago
Annie Daniels
8 years ago
Reviews from Google for Kaleidoscope Day Nursery. See all on Google Maps
Inspection history
Improved from Inadequate → Expected standard in 2026
Date: February 2011
- January 2026Expected standard
- October 2025Inadequate
- October 2021Good
- December 2013Outstanding
- February 2011Good
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This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more