# Summertime Nursery & Preschool

Summertime Nursery & Preschool is a full-day nursery at Thomas Hardye School, Queen's Avenue, Dorchester, DT1 2ET, in Poundbury, Dorset. It is registered for 35 children. Ofsted rated it Good at its inspection in August 2023, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025. It has a Google rating of 5.0 from 1 review (November 2026).

Page: https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/summertime-nursery-and-preschool-ey493659  
Last checked 4 November 2026.

## At a glance

- Type: Full-day nursery
- Address: Thomas Hardye School, Queen's Avenue, Dorchester, DT1 2ET
- Registered places: 35
- Phone: 01305 257756
- Website: https://www.summertimenursery.co.uk/
- Ofsted URN: EY493659

## Ofsted and official records

Ofsted rated it Good at its inspection on 2 August 2023, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.

- Quality of education: Good
- Behaviour and attitudes: Good
- Personal development: Good
- Leadership and management: Good

Safeguarding effective.

Report: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY493659

Official records:

- Ofsted registration: Registered since November 2015 (Reference EY493659). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY493659)
- Inspections on record: 1 inspection (latest 2 August 2023). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY493659)
- Registered places: 35 places (the most children it may care for at once). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY493659)
- Food hygiene rating: 5 (Very good) (inspected 15 October 2024). Source: Food Standards Agency, checked 13 November 2026 (https://ratings.food.gov.uk/business/994753)

## Fees

Fees, hours and ages: not published yet.

## Hours and ages

Opening hours and ages: not published yet.

## Getting there

Address: Thomas Hardye School, Queen's Avenue, Dorchester, DT1 2ET

Directions: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=50.708398,-2.454001

- Station: Dorchester West, 0.5 miles
- Station: Dorchester South, 0.7 miles
- 7 bus stops within 400 m
- Park: The Great Field, 0.3 miles
- Park: St Marys Garden, 0.4 miles
- Park: Fortress Green, 0.5 miles
- Playground: Playground, 0.2 miles
- Playground: Playground, 0.3 miles
- Playground: Playground, 0.3 miles

NaPTAN, Department for Transport, checked 13 November 2026 · © OpenStreetMap contributors, checked 13 November 2026.

## Places and next steps

Spaces: not published yet.

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. Source: ONS Census 2021.

When to apply: https://toddly.co.uk/when-to-apply-for-nursery

## Ratings

- Google: 5.0 out of 5 from 1 review (as of 4 November 2026)

## Nearby schools

Distances are in a straight line.

| School | Phase | Ages | Ofsted | Nursery class | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Prince of Wales School | Primary | 2–9 | Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Outstanding; Personal development: Outstanding; Leadership and management: Good (June 2025) | yes | 0.3 miles |
| Damers First School | Primary | 4–9 | Standards maintained (February 2025) |  | 0.6 miles |
| Sunninghill Preparatory School |  | 0–13 |  | yes | 1.0 miles |
| Dorchester Learning Centre |  | 5–18 | Good (May 2022) |  | 1.1 miles |
| St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester | Primary | 2–9 | School remains Good (January 2023) | yes | 1.1 miles |
| Manor Park Church of England First School | Primary | 2–9 | Report card (January 2026) | yes | 1.1 miles |
| St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster | Primary | 4–9 |  |  | 1.7 miles |
| The Thomas Hardye School | Secondary | 13–18 | Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Good; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Good (February 2025) |  | under 0.1 miles |

## Nearby nurseries

| Nursery | Ofsted | Day fee from | Hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Sunny Day Nursery & Play Club](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/sunny-day-nursery-and-play-club-ey216520) | Good |  |  | 0.3 miles |
| [The Grove Pre-School Playgroup](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/the-grove-pre-school-playgroup-139370) | Good |  |  | 0.4 miles |
| [Chipmunks Day Nursery](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/chipmunks-day-nursery-ey454946) | Requires improvement |  |  | 0.6 miles |
| [Dorchester Community Nursery School](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/dorchester-community-nursery-school-139333) | Good |  |  | 0.9 miles |
| [Little Robins Nursery](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/little-robins-nursery-2813369) | Report card Dec 2025 |  |  | 1.0 miles |
| [Charminster Preschool](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/charminster-preschool-ey337568) | Outstanding |  |  | 1.7 miles |

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Summertime Nursery & Preschool's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Summertime Nursery & Preschool Good at its inspection on 2 August 2023, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.

### How many children can Summertime Nursery & Preschool take?

Summertime Nursery & Preschool is registered with Ofsted for up to 35 children at any one time.

### What is the nearest station to Summertime Nursery & Preschool?

Dorchester West is the nearest station we know of, 0.5 miles away in a straight line.

### How do I contact Summertime Nursery & Preschool?

You can call 01305 257756 and visit www.summertimenursery.co.uk.

## Sources

- Registration and inspections: Ofsted, as of 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY493659)
- Rating and review themes: Google, as of 4 November 2026 (https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Summertime+Nursery+%26+Preschool&query_place_id=ChIJc7iQC8dZckgRb360MiL_6vw)
- Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools, as of 4 November 2026 (https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.