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Little Ducklings Pre school The Old Ticket Office

Ofsted: Expected standard·The Old Ticket Office, Holman Way, Topsham, EX3 0EN · Devon
Number of places
16 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
May 2026
Local authority
Devon

About this early years setting

Little Ducklings Pre-school operates across multiple settings in Devon, providing childcare for children from birth to five years old. The settings are divided by age group and location.

The Topsham Babies setting at Church Rooms caters for children aged 0-2 years, while the Topsham Explorers at Chapel Platt is for 2-3 year olds. The Old Ticket Office setting in Topsham, which is the focus of this request, cares for toddlers aged 3-5 years.

Additionally, there is a Rockbeare Village Hall setting that accommodates children from 0-4 years. The nursery prides itself on offering flexible childcare, charging hourly rates to support parents with varying needs.

Their comprehensive hourly fee includes a range of provisions such as nappies and pull-ups, wipes, two daily snacks, all craft materials and resources, lunch, an evening meal, outing and transport costs, and language classes like Spanish and signing. They emphasise that there are no additional charges for funded children or for resources and consumables.

The nursery actively supports government funding schemes, stretching the funded hours over the year, and also accepts Tax-Free Childcare, which can significantly reduce the effective hourly rate for eligible parents. They also highlight that parents on certain benefits may receive up to 85% of their childcare costs.

The opening hours vary slightly by setting, but the Topsham locations generally operate from 8 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday.

What it's like

Children settle quickly into their day in this unique setting on a train platform. They benefit from a home-from-home atmosphere and build a strong sense of belonging. Children and families receive a warm welcome from nurturing staff, who support children in separating from parents if needed. The focus is on children's personal, social and emotional development, fostering friendships and boosting their ability to learn.

Flexible childcareAll-inclusive hourly rateGovernment funding acceptedMultiple locationsAge-banded settings

Pricing & funding

Little Ducklings charges an hourly rate for childcare. For Topsham settings, this is £9.95 from April 2026, and for the Rockbeare setting, it is £9.75 from February 2026. The hourly rate is all-inclusive, covering meals, snacks, nappies, resources, and activities. The nursery accepts various government funding options, and Tax-Free Childcare can reduce the effective hourly rate to £6.32.

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare

Good to know

  • Nappies, pull-ups, wipes, 2x daily snacks, all craft materials, resources, lunch, evening meal, outings, transport costs, and language classes (Spanish and Signing) are included in the hourly rate for Topsham settings.
  • No extra charges for funded children or for resources/consumables.
  • A voluntary donation of £7.50 per month is suggested.
  • For the Rockbeare setting, parents provide a packed lunch, but an evening meal and two snacks daily are provided.
  • Funded hours (15 or 30 hours) are stretched over the year, equating to 11 or 22 hours per week.
  • Parents on certain benefits may receive up to 85% of their childcare costs paid.

Key facts

Opening hours

Topsham settings: Monday-Friday 8am-6pm. Rockbeare: Monday 8am-3:45pm, Tuesday 8am-3:30pm, Wednesday & Friday 8am-5:30pm (closed Thursdays).

Age range

0-5 years (specific setting for 3-5 years)

Food

Topsham settings include lunch and evening meal; Rockbeare setting is packed lunch (evening meal and snacks provided)

Waitlist

Waiting lists mentioned, implies availability might be limited.

Session types

Hourly

Registered with Ofsted

2024

Ofsted Inspection — new report card

Expected standard

Last inspected May 2026

Headline: Expected standard

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 routinesExpected standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
InclusionExpected standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Age range
2 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted report for Little Ducklings Pre school The Old Ticket Office

Last inspected 15 May 2026

What it's like to attend

Children settle quickly into their day in this unique setting on a train platform. They benefit from a home-from-home atmosphere and build a strong sense of belonging. Children and families receive a warm welcome from nurturing staff, who support children in separating from parents if needed. The focus is on children's personal, social and emotional development, fostering friendships and boosting their ability to learn.

Inspector highlights

  • Children make progress from their different starting points on transition into the setting and are prepared well for their move to school.
  • Children, including those with barriers to learning, develop effective communication and language skills.
  • Leaders have high expectations for all children's behaviour and ensure staff manage these efficiently.
  • Children know the routines of the setting and leaders create an environment that positively supports behaviour and managing emotions.
  • Leaders place high importance on their relationships with families and ensure all families feel welcome and involved.
  • Children feel safe and secure in this setting and leaders have created an environment that is well laid out for learning, overall.
  • Leaders develop an ambitious, sequential curriculum, using a topic of interest and children's next steps.
  • Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well.

Areas to develop

  • 1Leaders should maintain consistency in delivering the curriculum and using children's next steps to guide learning, particularly in outdoor play.
  • 2Leaders should review transition times from the indoor to the outdoor environment to maximise children's engagement in learning.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Staff monitor, review and implement achievable targets for children with speech and language delays. Children receive support from outside agencies that is delivered by skilful staff for their personal, social and emotional development. Leaders share observations with parents and make onward referrals. Children with SEND are included in all the setting offers, using skilled staff during transition times, using visuals as reminders and a whole team approach.

Outdoor space

Leaders consider the outdoor environments and enable children to access these on a daily basis, when space is limited on site. However, staff do not always consider what children need to learn next when organising learning experiences and staff interactions do not always support children's learning. Leaders should review transition times from the indoor to the outdoor environment to maximise children's engagement in learning.

Inspection history

Most recent inspection

15 May 2026

Expected standard

Only one graded inspection on record — a trend chart will appear here once a second graded report is published.

View full Ofsted report

Frequently asked about Little Ducklings Pre school The Old Ticket Office

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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