--- title: "Summertime Nursery & Preschool — Rated Good by Ofsted" description: "Summertime Nursery & Preschool, a nursery in Dorchester — Rated Good by Ofsted. See opening hours, fees, photos and contact details on Nursery Advice." lang: en-GB json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "name": "Nursery Advice", "url": "https://www.nurseryadvice.co.uk", "description": "Search and compare UK nurseries. Ofsted ratings, fees, opening hours, parent reviews and inspection history — all in one place.", "inLanguage": "en-GB", "potentialAction": { "@type": "SearchAction", "target": { "@type": "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate": "https://www.nurseryadvice.co.uk/search?q={search_term_string}" }, "query-input": "required name=search_term_string" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "name": "Nursery Advice", "url": "https://www.nurseryadvice.co.uk", "description": "Search and compare UK nurseries. 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The setting cares for children from birth to school age." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What are the fees at Summertime Nursery & Preschool?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A £100 deposit secures a place and is refunded on the first monthly invoice unless the family changes its mind. Daytime care is charged at £8.50 per hour. Evening care is priced at £7 for 17:00 to 17:30 and £15 for 17:00 to 18:00, with sessions billed by the hour and half hour. An extra enrichment contribution of £4.50 per day also applies." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How did Summertime Nursery & Preschool do at its last Ofsted inspection?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The most recent overall grade is Good, awarded on 2 August 2023." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Open hours at Summertime Nursery & Preschool?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The nursery is open all year apart from UK bank holidays and about one week over Christmas. Hours run Monday to Thursday from 7.30am to 6pm, and Friday from 7.30am to 5pm." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What settling-in support does Summertime Nursery & Preschool offer?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A series of short settling-in sessions is offered before care begins. These sessions help children build confidence, become familiar with the surroundings, and adjust to being away from parents." } } ] } ] } ] --- [![Nursery Advice](/__l5e/assets-v1/1c5557d3-f3fd-42f8-935a-3f2d2c3ac7e7/nursery-advice.webp "Nursery Advice")](/ "Nursery Advice") [Find Nurseries](/search)[Parent Hub](/parent-hub)[Compare](/compare)[About Us](/about-us)[For Nurseries](/for-nurseries) [Claim Your Nursery](/claim) 1. [Home](/) 2. [Nurseries](/nurseries) 3. [South West](/search?region=South+West) 4. Summertime Nursery & Preschool # Summertime Nursery & Preschool Compare Contact Nursery Ofsted: Good (Aug 2023) · 5.0 (1 parent reviews) · Thomas Hardye School, Queen's Avenue, Dorchester, DT1 2ET · Dorset Number of places 35 places Age range 0–4 yrs Last inspected Aug 2023 Local authority Dorset About - About - Pricing - Ofsted - Inclusion - Reviews - FAQ - [About](#about) - [Pricing](#pricing) - [Ofsted](#ofsted) - [Inclusion](#inclusion) - [Reviews](#reviews) - [FAQ](#faq) Email Nursery ## About this day nursery Summertime Nursery & Preschool, established in 2007, is a small, family-focused nursery located in Dorchester, catering to children from birth up to school age. The nursery is situated within the Thomas Hardye School grounds, near the 1610 leisure centre. As a 35-place nursery, it fosters a warm and nurturing environment, ensuring that each child's individual needs are met. The setting comprises a baby room for children aged 0-2 years, accommodating a maximum of nine babies, and a preschool room for up to 26 children aged 2-5 years. This smaller size allows for a personalised approach, where staff know each child by name and personality, aiming to become an extended part of each family's support network. Summertime Nursery is a committee-run registered charity, encouraging parent involvement in its daily operations. It is committed to inclusivity, offering support for children with special educational needs and disabilities through tailored activities and collaboration with external agencies. The nursery also emphasises gentle preparation for school, focusing on developing independence and essential life skills while valuing clear communication with parents. They provide complimentary settling-in sessions to ease children's transition into the nursery environment. Our ethos As a parent or carer we understand that choosing the right care for your child is a massive decision. We are a small nursery but able to offer a wide range of experiences from birth to school age most importantly we want to be part of your extended family. We know every child's name in the setting and their personalities, we want to know and care about your child, their lives and their families. It is our aim to provide a home from home that will gently prepare your child for school. We understand that good communication is important and value what each child says - we 'listen' and recognise children thrive best when they feel comfortable, safe, supported and valued. What it's like Children enjoy their time at this welcoming, friendly nursery and play happily with their friends. Staff are caring and help children to feel safe and gain a good sense of emotional well-being. Leaders and staff provide a broad curriculum to motivate children's interest in learning and to help them make good progress from their starting points. Small, family-focused environment Committee-run charity Inclusive for SEND children School readiness focus ## Pricing & funding Fees are charged by the hour and half-hour, with separate rates for daytime and evening care. A daily enrichment contribution is requested to cover snacks and resources, and a deposit is required to secure a placement. Funding accepted 15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs) 30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs) Good to know - A deposit is required to secure a placement, refundable on your first monthly invoice. - Sessions are charged by the hour and half-hour. - A daily enrichment contribution is requested to cover healthy snacks and extra resources. ### Official Ofsted Report Independent inspection of Summertime Nursery & Preschool Inspection date Aug 2023 Inspection no. 10299632 Lead inspector Mary Daniel Safeguarding arrangements are effective [Download full report (PDF)](https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50227536)[View on Ofsted.gov.uk](https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY493659) Visit or enquire ### Book a show-around Most settings reply within 48 hours. Schedule a VisitContact NurseryJoin Waitlist Get in touch ### Contact Reveal phone number Contact Nursery [ Visit website ](https://www.summertimenursery.co.uk/) Thomas Hardye School, Queen's Avenue, Dorchester, DT1 2ET Opening hours Monday - Thursday: 07:30 - 18:00, Friday: 07:30 - 17:00. Open all year except for UK bank holidays and approximately a week over Christmas. [© Mapbox](https://www.mapbox.com/about/maps) [© OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright/) [Improve this map](https://apps.mapbox.com/feedback/?owner=bettersearch&id=cmr0xkm3n001m01shcu7igkjr&access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoiYmV0dGVyc2VhcmNoIiwiYSI6ImNtcjB4NzVvNDA0ZTkycHF5Z3g3aWNtZWcifQ.h8Ni35tijJSAoESKsGArhg#/-2.454/50.7084/14) [](https://www.mapbox.com/) ## Explore day nurseries near Dorchester - [Day nurseries in Dorchester](/search?q=Dorchester) - [Day nurseries in South West](/search?q=South+West) Is this your nursery? Claim this listing to add photos, pricing, and respond to enquiries. [Claim this listing](/claim?nursery=summertime-nursery-preschool-dt1-2et-ey493659) ## Key facts Opening hours Monday - Thursday: 07:30 - 18:00, Friday: 07:30 - 17:00. Open all year except for UK bank holidays and approximately a week over Christmas. Food Parents supply lunch boxes, and the nursery is happy to reheat meals. Fresh fruit and vegetable snacks, milk, and water are provided at snack time. Age range From birth to school age Term time / All Year All Year Waitlist Waiting list available Ofsted Inspection ## Ofsted rating for Summertime Nursery & Preschool Last inspected 2 August 2023 · Mary Daniel Safeguarding effective 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 enjoy their time at this welcoming, friendly nursery and play happily with their friends. Staff are caring and help children to feel safe and gain a good sense of emotional well-being. Leaders and staff provide a broad curriculum to motivate children's interest in learning and to help them make good progress from their starting points. Inspector highlights - Children enjoy their time at this welcoming, friendly nursery and play happily with their friends. - Staff are caring and help children to feel safe and gain a good sense of emotional well-being. - Leaders and staff provide a broad curriculum to motivate children's interest in learning and to help them make good progress from their starting points. - Children enjoy playing outdoors and benefit from regular exercise. - Children learn to be kind to each other from a young age. Areas to develop - 1 strengthen systems for sharing information with other providers children attend to provide a more consistent approach for their care and learning needs - 2 support staff further to make more use of opportunities to extend children's knowledge and understanding of vocabulary. Inspection #10299632 · Source: Ofsted [View full Ofsted report](https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50227536) ## What parents say Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection > parents speak very highly of staff > staff are fantastic, very approachable and keep them well informed about their children's progress Inclusion & environment ## How they support every child SEND provision Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities very well. They adapt activities and the play areas to enable all children to make achievements at their level of ability. Outdoor space Children enjoy playing outdoors and benefit from regular exercise. They pedal their ride-on toys around a marked circuit and learn to control their direction. They like digging in the mud to find 'buried treasure'. ## Parent Reviews of Summertime Nursery & Preschool 5.0 (1) ![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a/ACg8ocKIo2C7eWHwYoRaFwRXbPVVxiQFIcsdEUDXp5T4VKyduJPgkg=s128-c0x00000000-cc-rp-mo) Tash Berry 5 years ago [Read on Google](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m6!14m5!1m4!2m3!1sChZDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSURDNmN6eGZBEAE!2m1!1s0x487259c70b90b873:0xfceaff2232b47e6f) Reviews from Google for Summertime Nursery & Preschool. [See all on Google Maps](https://maps.google.com/?cid=18224659364452793967&g_mp=CiVnb29nbGUubWFwcy5wbGFjZXMudjEuUGxhY2VzLkdldFBsYWNlEAIYBCAA) Inspection history Date: January 2018 - August 2023 Good - January 2018 Good ## Frequently asked about Summertime Nursery & Preschool ### How is Summertime Nursery & Preschool classified by Ofsted? ### What are the fees at Summertime Nursery & Preschool? ### How did Summertime Nursery & Preschool do at its last Ofsted inspection? ### Open hours at Summertime Nursery & Preschool? ### What settling-in support does Summertime Nursery & Preschool offer? ## About the setting Summertime Nursery & Preschool registered in 2015. This committee-run nursery operates from premises within the grounds of Thomas Hardye School, in Dorchester, Dorset. The nursery is open Monday to Thursday, from 7.30am until 6pm, and Friday, from 7.30am until 5pm, all year round. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 18 members of staff employed, including an administrative officer and a cleaner. The manager holds early years teacher status, and 14 staff hold childcare qualifications up to level 4. URN EY493659 Registered person Summertime Nursery & Preschool Day care type Full day care Register Early Years Register Establishment type Childcare on non-domestic premises Previous rating Good ## Nearby day nurseries in Dorchester Other Ofsted-registered day nurseries close to Summertime Nursery & Preschool. - [ Ofsted: Good 0.3 mi ### Sunny Day Nursery & Play Club Dorchester · DT1 3WA 4.3(18 reviews) ](/nursery/sunny-day-nursery-play-club-dt1-3wa-ey216520) - [ Ofsted: Good 0.4 mi ### The Grove Pre-School Playgroup Dorchester · DT1 2LA ](/nursery/the-grove-pre-school-playgroup-dt1-2la-139370) - [ Ofsted: Requires improvement 0.6 mi ### Chipmunks Day Nursery Dorchester · DT1 2BS ](/nursery/chipmunks-day-nursery-dt1-2bs-ey454946) - [ Ofsted rating unavailable 1.0 mi ### Little Robins Nursery Dorchester · DT1 1EB ](/nursery/little-robins-nursery-dt1-1eb-2813369) - [ Ofsted: Outstanding 1.7 mi ### Charminster Preschool Dorchester · DT2 9RD ](/nursery/charminster-preschool-dt2-9rd-ey337568) - [ Ofsted: Good 4.6 mi ### Preston Pre-School Weymouth · DT3 6BH ](/nursery/preston-pre-school-ltd-dt3-6bh-ey474916) [See all nurseries in Dorchester →](/search?q=Dorchester) ### Are you the owner of this nursery? 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