Nanny Bears The Cottage

About this day nursery

Nanny Bears The Cottage in Exeter offers a highly nurturing setting for children aged 1 to 4 years, operating from 07:45 to 18:00, Monday to Friday. Children quickly settle and develop deep bonds with their key persons, benefiting from cuddles and tailored settling-in sessions that promote a sense of security.

The day nursery's curriculum is impressively flexible, built around each child's interests, developmental stage, existing knowledge, and skills, ensuring that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make superb and sustained progress from their individual starting points. The well-resourced environment, particularly the outdoors, encourages curiosity and sustained focus through activities like sand and water play, fostering enthusiasm and imagination.

Staff provide consistent, high-quality teaching across all rooms, demonstrating a clear understanding of how each child learns. Children with SEND are fully included and receive targeted support, utilising visual aids and objects of reference to assist with routines and communication.

For children with English as an additional language (EAL), effective support is in place, with families providing key words and the day nursery offering relevant books and resources. This commitment to an inclusive and engaging environment, coupled with strong partnerships with parents and external professionals, underpins the setting's ability to prepare children extremely well for their next stage of education.

This highly nurturing approach was recognised in their latest Ofsted inspection on 7th July 2026, which noted an "Exceptional" outcome for Achievement, "Strong standard" for Curriculum and teaching, and "Expected standard" for Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines, and Children's welfare and wellbeing.

What it's like

Children are happy and settle quickly in this highly nurturing setting, developing deep bonds with their key persons and responding positively to cuddles. The curriculum is based on children's interests, developmental stages, knowledge and skills, ensuring significant progress for all children. Children enjoy the well-resourced environment, particularly outdoors, where they engage with curiosity and sustained focus.