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Nurseries in Blandford Forum

There are 12 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Blandford Forum, and 1 other childcare setting such as out-of-school clubs.

Inspection grades in Blandford Forum

  • Ofsted report cards: 5 settings (7 Strong standard, 18 Expected standard, 5 Needs attention)
  • Ofsted grades before November 2025: 5 settings (2 Outstanding, 3 Good)

Grades are shown only where the inspectorate has published the report.

Nurseries and pre-schools

  • Archbishop Wake Nursery - Day nursery, Blandford Forum DT11 8SW, ages 0 to 4, 57 places
    Ofsted report card, 25 March 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Archway Nursery School - Day nursery, Blandford Forum DT11 8TX, ages 0 to 4, 83 places
    Ofsted report card, 12 March 2026: Expected standard in 3 areas, Needs attention in 3 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Blandford Opportunity Group - Pre-school, Blandford Forum DT11 7BU, ages 1 to 5, 26 places
    Ofsted, 30 March 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Clayesmore Nursery - Day nursery, Blandford Forum DT11 8LL, 67 places
  • Ladybirds at MSA First School - Pre-school, Blandford Forum DT11 0JE, ages 2 to 4, 40 places
    Ofsted report card, 20 March 2026: Strong standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Little Birch Preschool - Pre-school, Blandford Forum DT11 9QD, ages 2 to 4, 20 places
    Ofsted, 10 November 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Muddy Monkies - Day nursery, Blandford Forum DT11 9HN, ages 2 to 10, 30 places
    Ofsted, 6 July 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Panda Pre School - Pre-school, Blandford Forum DT11 7SN, ages 2 to 4, 57 places
    Ofsted report card, 16 June 2026: Strong standard in 1 area, Expected standard in 5 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Stagecoach Blandford Forum - Pre-school, Blandford Forum DT11 7SQ
  • Sunbeams Shillingstone - Day nursery, Blandford Forum DT11 0TX, ages 1 to 4
    Ofsted, 4 March 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • The Ark Child Okeford - Day nursery, Blandford Forum DT11 8EL, ages 0 to 11, 42 places
    Ofsted, 26 February 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Winterborne Stickland Nursery School CIO - Day nursery, Blandford Forum DT11 0NN, ages 0 to 3, 51 places
    Ofsted report card, 15 September 2026: Expected standard in 4 areas, Needs attention in 2 areas; safeguarding standards met

Out-of-school clubs and other childcare

  • Asc - Out-of-school club, Blandford Forum DT11 0PX

Nursery groups with settings here

Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)

Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.

The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.

Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.

Source: Ofsted reports

Ofsted grades before November 2025 (England)

Inspections before November 2025 gave one overall grade on a four-point scale: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement, Inadequate. Ofsted also graded the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, and said whether safeguarding was effective.

Settings keep their last grade until Ofsted visits again, so many nurseries still show a grade from this older scale.

Source: Ofsted reports

Funded childcare hours in England

All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.

Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.

Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.

The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.

Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)

Council area

Schools in Blandford Forum

Sources: Ofsted, registers as at 30 June 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.