94 nurseries in Dorset

Every day nursery in the Dorset council area, best rated first, with the ones Ofsted rated Outstanding and what a place costs after the free hours.

94 day nurseries

12 rated Outstanding

10 with a new report card (11%)

4,374 places in total

£133 a week, 50 hours for a 2 year old after free hours

Outstanding nurseries in Dorset

13 nurseries in the area are in our top band: rated Outstanding, or graded Strong standard or better across a new report card.

Top-band day nurseries in Dorset
#	Nursery	Ofsted outcome	Inspected	Places
1	Kids Love Nature Kindergarten at Avon Heath Ringwood, BH24	Strong standard in all 6	6 January 2026	40
2	The Caterpillar Club Ferndown, BH22	Outstanding	26 March 2025	22
3	Judy's House Ltd Wimborne, BH21	Outstanding	17 October 2024	37
4	Rainbow's End Montessori School Ferndown, BH22	Outstanding	24 June 2024	27
5	Little Acorns Playgroup Dorchester, DT2	Outstanding	20 June 2024	26
6	Kids Love Nature Kindergarten Lytchett Poole, BH16	Outstanding	15 September 2023	64
7	Little Birds Pre-school Swanage, BH19	Outstanding	20 July 2023	26
8	Charminster Preschool Dorchester, DT2	Outstanding	29 November 2022	34
9	Fontmell Magna Under Fives Shaftesbury, SP7	Outstanding	3 November 2022	32
10	Stalbridge Pre-School Stalbridge, DT10	Outstanding	14 October 2022	42
11	Muddy Monkies Blandford Forum, DT11	Outstanding	6 July 2022	30
12	Shaftesbury Children Centre Nursery Shaftesbury, SP7	Outstanding	27 June 2022	45

Day nurseries in Dorset, best rated first

All 94 day nurseries in Dorset
#	Nursery	Ofsted outcome	Inspected	Places
1	Kids Love Nature Kindergarten at Avon Heath Ringwood, BH24	Strong standard in all 6	6 January 2026	40
2	The Caterpillar Club Ferndown, BH22	Outstanding	26 March 2025	22
3	Judy's House Ltd Wimborne, BH21	Outstanding	17 October 2024	37
4	Rainbow's End Montessori School Ferndown, BH22	Outstanding	24 June 2024	27
5	Little Acorns Playgroup Dorchester, DT2	Outstanding	20 June 2024	26
6	Kids Love Nature Kindergarten Lytchett Poole, BH16	Outstanding	15 September 2023	64
7	Little Birds Pre-school Swanage, BH19	Outstanding	20 July 2023	26
8	Charminster Preschool Dorchester, DT2	Outstanding	29 November 2022	34
9	Fontmell Magna Under Fives Shaftesbury, SP7	Outstanding	3 November 2022	32
10	Stalbridge Pre-School Stalbridge, DT10	Outstanding	14 October 2022	42
11	Muddy Monkies Blandford Forum, DT11	Outstanding	6 July 2022	30
12	Shaftesbury Children Centre Nursery Shaftesbury, SP7	Outstanding	27 June 2022	45
13	Pamphill Pre School Nursery Wimborne, BH21	Outstanding	10 June 2022	25
14	Little Robins Nursery Dorchester, DT1	Strong standard in 5 of 6	8 December 2025	15
15	Kaleidoscope Day Nursery Sherborne, DT9	Expected standard in 5 of 6	20 January 2026	120
16	Bovington Nursery Bovington, BH20	Expected standard in 5 of 6	8 December 2025	135
17	Tops Day Nurseries - Wimborne Wimborne, BH21	Expected standard in all 6	14 May 2026	80
18	Little Beans Daycare Limited Weymouth, DT4	Expected standard in all 6	11 May 2026	80
19	Archbishop Wake Nursery Blandford Forum, DT11	Expected standard in all 6	25 March 2026	57
20	Verwood Day Nursery Ltd Wimborne, BH21	Expected standard in all 6	3 December 2025	78
21	Little Gems (Dorset) Limited Gillingham, SP8	Expected standard in all 6	21 November 2025	40
22	Jelly Babies Day Nursery Weymouth, DT4	Good	24 September 2025	32
23	St John's Pre-School Wimborne, BH21	Good	12 September 2025	26
24	Flying Start Nurseries Shaftesbury, SP7	Good	8 May 2025	55
25	Jack and Jill Day Nursery Wimborne, BH21	Good	7 April 2025	55
26	The Little Elves and Fairies Woodland Nursery Ferndown, BH22	Good	4 April 2025	23
27	Bizzybeez Childcare Ltd Poole, BH16	Good	21 March 2025	31
28	The Ark Child Okeford Blandford Forum, DT11	Good	26 February 2025	42
29	River House Nursery Wimborne, BH21	Good	7 February 2025	70
30	Scallywags Child Care Centre Weymouth, DT3	Good	17 December 2024	78
31	Winfrith Pre-School Dorchester, DT2	Good	12 December 2024	18
32	Tops Day Nurseries - Corfe Mullen Wimborne, BH21	Good	25 November 2024	86
33	Explorers Childcare Group Swanage, BH19	Good	19 November 2024	49
34	Wimborne Kindergarten Wimborne, BH21	Good	12 November 2024	24
35	Stower Vale Pre-School Gillingham, SP8	Good	24 October 2024	21
36	Sunny Day Nursery & Play Club Dorchester, DT1	Good	24 October 2024	170
37	Holwell Nursery School Sherborne, DT9	Good	13 September 2024	46
38	Barn Owls Nursery Dorchester, DT2	Good	28 August 2024	30
39	Radipole Preschool Weymouth, DT3	Good	13 June 2024	24
40	Chuckles Day Nursery Weymouth, DT4	Good	11 June 2024	59
41	Sunbeams Shillingstone Blandford Forum, DT11	Good	4 March 2024
42	Sandford St Martin's Nursery School CIC Wareham, BH20	Good	29 February 2024	35
43	St Andrews Pre-School Bridport, DT6	Good	17 January 2024	36
44	The Grove Pre-School Playgroup Dorchester, DT1	Good	9 November 2023	21
45	Ferndown Day Nursery Ferndown, BH22	Good	6 September 2023	45
46	Summertime Nursery & Preschool Dorchester, DT1	Good	2 August 2023	35
47	Cherry Tree Montessori Nursery Ringwood, BH24	Good	26 July 2023	24
48	The Barn Nursery School Wimborne, BH21	Good	18 July 2023	20
49	Tops Gillingham Gillingham, SP8	Good	3 July 2023	92
50	Little Firs Day Nursery Weymouth, DT4	Good	28 June 2023	77
51	Maiden Newton Childcare Provision Dorchester, DT2	Good	28 June 2023	20
52	Preston Pre-School Ltd Weymouth, DT3	Good	10 May 2023	30
53	Haylands Portland, DT5	Good	5 May 2023	40
54	Rock A Tots UK Limited Westmoors Ferndown, BH22	Good	3 May 2023	58
55	Chrysalis Montessori Nursery Wimborne, BH21	Good	28 February 2023	25
56	The Chapel In The Valley Pre School Wimborne, BH21	Good	19 January 2023	25
57	Chipmunks Day Nursery Weymouth, DT4	Good	13 October 2022	121
58	Jungle Hut Pre School Sturminster Newton, DT10	Good	12 October 2022	18
59	Forget Me Not Day Nursery Sherborne, DT9	Good	15 August 2022	66
60	The Elves and Fairies Woodland Nursery Wimborne, BH21	Good	28 April 2022	16
61	Ladybirds Playschool LTD Upton, BH16	Good	26 April 2022	38
62	Tops Day Nurseries - Wareham Wareham, BH20	Good	22 April 2022	47
63	The Old School Nursery Blandford, DT11	Good	21 April 2022	59
64	Colehill Nursery Wimborne, BH21	Good	24 March 2022	26
65	Bradpole Preschool Bridport, DT6	Good	15 March 2022	26
66	Focus Nursery School Wareham, BH20	Good	11 March 2022	18
67	Kingswood Day Nurseries Limited Fordingbridge, SP6	Good	9 March 2022	52
68	The Children's House Montessori Nursery Wimborne, BH21	Good	22 February 2022	40
69	Allsorts Weymouth, DT4	Good	25 January 2022	32
70	The Little Learners Nursery Ringwood, BH24	Good	19 November 2021	25
71	Blossom Childcare Nature Nursery Limited Wareham, BH20	Good	2 November 2021	30
72	Muddy Munchkins Forest Nursery Ferndown, BH22	Good	5 October 2021	30
73	Blossoms Day Nursery Corfe Mullen, BH21	Good	26 August 2021	17
74	Mini Munchkins Day Nursery And After School Club Wimborne, BH21	Good	19 July 2021	20
75	Allsorts Weymouth, DT4	Good	7 July 2021	42
76	Allsorts Brackenbury Portland, DT5	Good	10 June 2021	38
77	Busy Bees Day Nursery at Weymouth Weymouth, DT4	Needs attention in 4 of 6	27 January 2026	59
78	Chipmunks Day Nursery Dorchester, DT1	Requires improvement	24 September 2025	153
79	360 Sports Wimborne, BH21	Not yet graded	Not yet
80	ASC Portland Portland, DT5	Not yet graded	Not yet
81	Archway Nursery School Blandford Forum, DT11	Not yet graded	Not yet	83
82	Clayesmore Nursery Blandford Forum, DT11	Not yet graded	Not yet	67
83	Greenwood Nursery Poole, BH16	Not yet graded	Not yet	90
84	Happy Days Nursery and Pre-school Verwood, BH31	Not yet graded	Not yet	81
85	Happy Feet Nursery & Pre-School Wimborne, BH21	Not yet graded	Not yet	50
86	Leweston School Sherborne, DT9	Not yet graded	Not yet	25
87	Lower Covey Limited Sherborne, DT9	Not yet graded	Not yet	64
88	Orchard Day Nursery Verwood, BH31	Not yet graded	Not yet	141
89	Pear Tree Nursery and Pre-School Sherborne, DT9	Not yet graded	Not yet	30
90	Sproutlings Childcare Portland, DT5	Not yet graded	Not yet	12
91	Sunny Days Bridport Bridport, DT6	Not yet graded	Not yet	66
92	Weymouth Outdoor Education Centre Weymouth, DT4	Not yet graded	Not yet
93	Winterborne Stickland Nursery School CIO Blandford Forum, DT11	Not yet graded	Not yet	51
94	Wonderland Day Nursery and Pre-school Bridport, DT6	Not yet graded	Not yet	64

How the ranking works: our ranking policy. What the grades mean: Ofsted report cards explained.

Towns in Dorset

Nurseries by postcode in Dorset

Nursery fees in Dorset

What day nurseries in South West charge on average. Fees in Dorset itself can sit above or below this.

Average weekly price in term time, South West, Coram Childcare Survey 2026
Child's age	25 hours a week	50 hours a week
Under 2	£181no funded hours	£145after 30 funded hours
2 years old	£165no funded hours	£133after 30 funded hours
3 to 4 years old	£61after the free 15 hours	£122after 30 funded hours

Regional average, not any one nursery's price. Source: Coram Childcare Survey 2026. Work out your own monthly cost.

30 hours free childcare in Dorset

The free hours follow national rules, so they are the same in Dorset as anywhere in England. Every day nursery listed here is registered with Ofsted, which is what a nursery needs to offer them.

Check which hours your child can get

Who	Free hours a week
Working parents, child from 9 months	30 hours
Every 3 and 4 year old	15 hours
2 year olds in families getting some benefits	15 hours

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.