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Tops Day Nurseries - Mini Mariners

Ofsted: Expected standard·
4.3(6 parent reviews) ·79 Bridgewater Rd, Taunton, TA1 2DU · Somerset
Number of places
36 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Apr 2026
Local authority
Somerset

About this day nursery

Tops Day Nurseries - Mini Mariners, located on Bridgewater Road in Taunton, offers childcare for children aged 0-4 years. Registered in 2006, this setting is part of the national Tops Day Nurseries chain and operates from The Hydrographic Office site within the UK Ministry of Defence.

The nursery provides a "Good" standard of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, as determined by its latest Ofsted inspection on 21st March 2023. Children at Mini Mariners engage in exciting activities and benefit from daily outdoor play, which helps them develop curiosity and physical skills.

The dedicated team focuses on an eco-friendly environment, and the manager ensures a clear curriculum intent that effectively monitors children's development. The nursery is open all year round, Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 6 pm, excluding bank holidays, and accepts funding for two, three, and four-year-olds.

Our ethos

Our Values are: To be the very best at what we do, by being bravely innovative, empowering the children and learners in our care within a safe and consciously sustainable environment, that builds trust with the parents that support our nurseries. This includes bravery, empowerment, sustainability, and trust.

What it's like

Children settle quickly on arrival and are curious and eager to participate in exciting activities. They grow in confidence and are happy exploring the well-resourced, calm, but busy environment, which enables children to make choices and extend their ideas. Staff make good use of the settling-in procedures to get to know the children well, seeking important information on babies' routines to help them feel safe and secure.

Curious and eager learnersDaily outdoor playLove of booksStrong language skillsEffective curriculum intent

Pricing & funding

Fees are charged at an hourly rate that varies by age group and location. An optional Consumables and Sundries package is available for a voluntary daily fee, and additional meals and services are charged separately.

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds

Good to know

  • Optional Consumables & Sundries package is voluntary.
  • Private childcare is charged at an hourly rate.
  • Hourly rates vary by nursery and age group.
  • Additional services and meals are available as per nursery price lists.

Key facts

Food

All meals and snacks included in packages; optional for basic funded package

Opening hours

Unknown

Age range

9 months to 4 years

Term time / All Year

All_year

Session types

Full-time, Sessional

Established

2006

Waitlist

Unknown

Ofsted Inspection — new report card

Expected standard

Last inspected Apr 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 wellbeingStrong 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 rating for Tops Day Nurseries - Mini Mariners

Last inspected 29 April 2026

Safeguarding effective

What it's like to attend

Children settle quickly on arrival and are curious and eager to participate in exciting activities. They grow in confidence and are happy exploring the well-resourced, calm, but busy environment, which enables children to make choices and extend their ideas. Staff make good use of the settling-in procedures to get to know the children well, seeking important information on babies' routines to help them feel safe and secure.

Inspector highlights

  • Children are curious and eager to participate in exciting activities.
  • Children of all ages have daily opportunities to be outside and develop their physical skills.
  • Children develop a love of books and are fascinated as staff read to them.
  • The manager has a clear curriculum intent and works well with staff to monitor children's development.
  • Children's language skills are good, including those who speak English as an additional language.
  • The manager's intent for children to become more and more independent is implemented well.
  • Most staff provide good support for children's mathematical development.
  • The strong management team evaluate their practice successfully, including seeking parent and staff feedback.
  • The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Areas to develop

  • 1Build on staff questioning techniques to ensure children understand the questions and are given enough time to think and respond.
  • 2Focus staff training on ensuring consistent teaching to support children's mathematical development more effectively.
Inspection #10276682 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

The manager works well with staff to monitor children's development, identify gaps, and put in place focused targeted support to help children catch up where necessary.

Outdoor space

Children of all ages have daily opportunities to be outside and develop their physical skills. Babies who have just started walking manage to keep their balance in long grass, while older children manoeuvre bikes with control and steer around obstacles.

EAL / language support

Children's language skills are good, including those who speak English as an additional language. Staff provide words for babies, extend vocabulary with toddlers and help older children to engage in discussions and recognise similar sounds.

Parent Reviews of Tops Day Nurseries - Mini Mariners

4.3
(6)
Lucia Lietke
8 months ago

I can recommend the nursery! All staff are very friendly and welcoming, the manager Camila is so helpful and knowledgeable. My daughter absolutely loved her time in there and has learned lots with Tops Mini Mariners. Great location. Big garden for the children to play.

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Emma Silverwood
3 years ago

I can't recommend Mini Mariners enough! All staff are friendly, caring and welcoming, our daughter settled in really quickly. She does a range of fun activities playing every day developing her skills using her strengths.

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Honorata Stasiak
2 years ago

This is emaizing place for yor child. My girl just finish to go there. The staff and manager Camila are very dedicated and caring. I will always be grateful how well they was caring about my daughter ❤️ 💕 .

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Fábio Sousa
a week ago

Wouldn't recommend this nursery if you would like to receive observations about your child, management initially said they're having 'temporary' issues with the network which is being going on for months....anything which they can benefit from like book your child for extra hours there's no network issues always comes through.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Tops Day Nurseries - Mini Mariners. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: May 2010

The most recent inspection point has been hidden because the parsed entry didn't match the headline Ofsted rating (Good). We're re-checking it against the original report.

  • April 2023Good
  • March 2023Good
  • August 2017Outstanding
  • July 2017Outstanding
  • February 2015Good
  • January 2015Good
  • June 2010Good
  • May 2010Good

Frequently asked about Tops Day Nurseries - Mini Mariners

About the setting

Tops Day Nurseries - Mini Mariners registered in 2006 and is owned by Tops Day Nurseries in Bournemouth, which is a national chain. This nursery operates from within The Hydrographic Office site of the UK Ministry of Defence in Taunton, Somerset. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 8am until 6pm, all year round, except bank holidays. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years. There are 10 members of staff. Of these, seven hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 and two staff hold a qualification at level 2.

URN
EY343441
Registered person
Tops Day Nursery Limited
Day care type
Full day care
Register
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Establishment type
Childcare on non-domestic premises
Previous rating
Outstanding

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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