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Nurseries in Dorchester

There are 13 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Dorchester, and 3 other childcare settings such as out-of-school clubs.

Inspection grades in Dorchester

  • Ofsted report cards: 2 settings (5 Strong standard, 7 Expected standard)
  • Ofsted grades before November 2025: 11 settings (2 Outstanding, 9 Good)

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

Nurseries and pre-schools

  • Barn Owls Nursery - Day nursery, Dorchester DT2 0HG, ages 1 to 4, 30 places
    Ofsted, 28 August 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Broadmayne & West Knighton Pre-School - Pre-school, Dorchester DT2 8PH, ages 2 to 4, 20 places
    Ofsted, 21 November 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Charminster Preschool - Day nursery, Dorchester DT2 9RD, ages 2 to 4, 34 places
    Ofsted, 29 November 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Chipmunks Day Nursery - Day nursery, Dorchester DT1 2BS, ages 0 to 3, 153 places
    Ofsted report card, 9 September 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Dorchester Community Nursery School - Pre-school, Dorchester DT1 1QA, ages 2 to 4, 32 places
    Ofsted, 25 November 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Little Acorns Playgroup - Day nursery, Dorchester DT2 0JY, ages 1 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted, 20 June 2024: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Little Robins Nursery - Day nursery, Dorchester DT1 1EB, ages 0 to 4, 15 places
    Ofsted report card, 8 December 2025: Strong standard in 5 areas, Expected standard in 1 area; safeguarding standards met
  • Maiden Newton Childcare Provision - Day nursery, Dorchester DT2 0AX, ages 2 to 4, 20 places
    Ofsted, 28 June 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Puddletown Pre-School - Pre-school, Dorchester DT2 8FZ, ages 2 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted, 19 October 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Summertime Nursery & Preschool - Day nursery, Dorchester DT1 2ET, ages 0 to 4, 35 places
    Ofsted, 2 August 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Sunny Day Nursery & Play Club - Day nursery, Dorchester DT1 3WA, ages 1 to 12, 170 places
    Ofsted, 24 October 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • The Grove Pre-School Playgroup - Day nursery, Dorchester DT1 2LA, ages 2 to 4, 21 places
    Ofsted, 9 November 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Winfrith Pre-School - Day nursery, Dorchester DT2 8JL, ages 2 to 4, 18 places
    Ofsted, 12 December 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective

Out-of-school clubs and other childcare

  • Kaleidoscope Kids Club - Out-of-school club, Dorchester DT1 3DF, 32 places
  • Outdoor Adventurers Forest School - Out-of-school club, Dorchester DT2 8PH
  • Premier Education - Manor Park - Out-of-school club, Dorchester DT1 2BH, 32 places

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 Dorchester

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