Full-day nursery in Charminster, Dorset
Charminster Preschool
St. Marys C of E VC First School, West Hill, DORCHESTER, DT2 9RD · Getting there
Is it good?
Read the Ofsted reportOfsted inspection, before November 2025
Outstanding
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
What does this mean?
This grade is from before November 2025, when Ofsted replaced single grades with report cards. The nursery's next inspection will give a report card, with a separate grade for each area instead of one overall grade.
Official records
Fees
Fees, hours and ages: not published yet
Thanks. We count every request and show the nursery how many parents are asking.
Estimate a monthly cost with the council area's typical day rate
Hours and ages
Opening hours and ages: not published yet.
Getting there
St. Marys C of E VC First School, West Hill, DORCHESTER, DT2 9RD · More nurseries in DT2
Buses
11 bus stops within 400 m, including The Cross, Church Gate and The Church.
Parks and playgrounds
- Playground9 min walk
NaPTAN, Department for Transport, checked 13 November 2026 · © OpenStreetMap contributors, checked 13 November 2026. Walking times are rough, from straight-line distance.
Places and next steps
Spaces: not published yet. Nurseries often fill months ahead, so ask early.
In Dorset there are about 2.8 children under 5 for every registered nursery place. Places are how many children nurseries may care for, not free spaces, so this is a guide to demand. Source: ONS Census 2021.
What parents say
Reviews on Toddly
Be the first parent to review Charminster Preschool
Reviews come from parents who sign in, and a person reads each one before it goes live. How reviews work
Write a reviewAbout Charminster Preschool
Charminster Preschool is a full-day nursery at St. Marys C of E VC First School, West Hill, DORCHESTER, DT2 9RD, in Charminster, Dorset. It is registered for 34 children. Ofsted rated it Outstanding at its inspection in November 2022, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.
Compare nurseries nearby
| Nursery | Ofsted | Full day from | Hours | Ages | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charminster PreschoolThis nursery | Outstanding | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | This nursery |
| Sunny Day Nursery & Play ClubFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 1.6 miles |
| The Grove Pre-School PlaygroupFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 1.6 miles |
| Summertime Nursery & PreschoolFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 1.7 miles |
| Little Robins NurseryFull-day nursery | Report card 2025 | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 1.8 miles |
| Dorchester Community Nursery SchoolSessional pre-school | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 1.8 miles |
| Chipmunks Day NurseryFull-day nursery | Requires improvement | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 2.1 miles |
A dash means the nursery hasn't published it yet. Distances are in a straight line.
Nearby areas
Schools nearby
- St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster Primaryages 4–9 under 0.1 miles
- Damers First School Primaryages 4–9Ofsted: Standards maintainedinspected February 2025 1.2 miles
- Sunninghill Preparatory School ages 0–13has a nursery class 1.8 miles
- The Thomas Hardye School Secondaryages 13–18Ofsted: Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Good; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Goodinspected February 2025 1.7 miles
- Dorchester Middle School Middle deemed secondaryages 9–13Ofsted: Report cardinspected June 2026 1.7 miles
Straight-line distances. Places depend on each school's admissions rules. From the Department for Education and Ofsted.
Questions parents ask
Got a question? Ask and get an answer straight away.
What is Charminster Preschool's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Charminster Preschool Outstanding at its inspection on 29 November 2022, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.
How many children can Charminster Preschool take?
Charminster Preschool is registered with Ofsted for up to 34 children at any one time.
What is the nearest station to Charminster Preschool?
Dorchester West is the nearest station we know of, 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
How do I contact Charminster Preschool?
You can call 01305 251512 and visit www.charminsterpreschool.co.uk.
Tools for parents in Dorset
- Childcare cost calculatorMonthly cost with funded hours
- Funded hours checkerWhich schemes you qualify for
- Funded hours start dateWhen your child's hours begin
- Tax-Free Childcare calculatorThe 20% top-up on your bill
- Visit checklist for this nurseryPrintable questions, pre-filled
- Cost of nursery in DorsetFees by age in Dorset
About this information
- Registration and inspections: Ofsted · 30 June 2026
- Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools · 4 November 2026
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Department for Education data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right; contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.
- Contains Department for Transport NaPTAN data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Source: Office for National Statistics, Census 2021, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Last checked 4 November 2026 · Ofsted URN EY337568 · Plain-text version · Report a mistake
Is this your nursery? Claim it free to correct details, add photos and answer parents' questions.
Claim it free