Chipmunks Day Nursery
Day nursery in Dorchester, DT1. Part of the Dorset council area.
6 Herringston Road, Dorchester, DT1 2BSWhat Ofsted found
Requires improvement Inspected 24 September 2025
| Judgement | Grade |
|---|---|
| Overall effectiveness | Requires improvement |
| Quality of education | Requires improvement |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Requires improvement |
| Personal development | Requires improvement |
| Leadership and management | Requires improvement |
The third of the four grades: not yet good, and the nursery had to improve. Ofsted now gives report cards instead, so this grade stays until the next inspection.
What a place could cost
Chipmunks Day Nursery sets its own prices. These are the averages for day nurseries in South West, for 50 hours a week in term time once the 30 funded hours are taken off.
| Child's age | You pay a week | About a month |
|---|---|---|
| From 9 months to 2 | £145 | £460 |
| 2 years old | £133 | £422 |
| 3 to 4 years old | £122 | £388 |
A month here is 38 term-time weeks spread over 12 months. Work out your own hours or check your free hours.
Chipmunks Day Nursery against Dorchester
| Chipmunks Day Nursery | Dorchester average | |
|---|---|---|
| Places | 153 | 52 |
| Ofsted outcome | Requires improvement | 90% rated Good or better |
Other nurseries close by
Questions parents ask about Chipmunks Day Nursery
- What Ofsted grade does Chipmunks Day Nursery have?
- Chipmunks Day Nursery was rated Requires improvement at its inspection on 24 September 2025, under the grading Ofsted used before report cards.
- How many children can Chipmunks Day Nursery take?
- Ofsted registers Chipmunks Day Nursery for 153 places at any one time. The average day nursery in Dorchester has 52.
- How much does Chipmunks Day Nursery cost?
- Chipmunks Day Nursery sets its own fees, so ask it for a price list. As a guide, the average nursery in South West charges £181 a week for 25 hours for a child under 2, before any free hours.
- Does Chipmunks Day Nursery offer 30 hours free childcare?
- Any nursery on the Ofsted Early Years Register can offer the funded hours, but each one chooses how many funded places it has and what it charges for meals and extras. Ask Chipmunks Day Nursery how it offers them.
- When was Chipmunks Day Nursery last inspected?
- Ofsted last inspected Chipmunks Day Nursery on 24 September 2025. The full report is on the Ofsted website.
- Which nurseries are near Chipmunks Day Nursery?
- Nearby in DT1: Little Robins Nursery, Sunny Day Nursery & Play Club, The Grove Pre-School Playgroup.
Nursery list and inspection outcomes from Ofsted's register of childcare providers, as at 30 June 2026.
Fees shown are regional averages from the Coram Family and Childcare Survey 2026, not any one nursery’s price. Confirm with the nursery before enrolling.
Eligibility rules are the government’s (childcarechoices.gov.uk). Whether a nursery offers the funded hours, and what it charges for meals and consumables, is the nursery’s decision; ask for its funded-hours terms in writing.