Flying Start Nurseries Shaftesbury

Woodworking with child-sized tools gives Flying Start Nurseries Shaftesbury a memorable practical edge. In May 2025, children measured and cut wood with individual staff guidance, learning why protective footwear and glasses mattered before using the tools. This was learning with a purpose: instructions, language and practical skills came together in one task.

At its 8 May 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. The Bell Street setting cares for children from birth to five and has 55 places in total. Four play spaces separate the stages of early childhood, including Tiddlywinks for babies and The Willows for children moving towards preschool. The important distinction is between the nursery's total capacity and the smaller arrangements within its play spaces.

Rooms and Ages

Tiddlywinks takes babies from birth to two, combining sensory and creative play with music and opportunities to communicate; babies are cared for in groups of fewer than six. That small-group arrangement deserves attention from parents choosing their baby's first childcare setting. It is a group-size statement, rather than the capacity of a room or the nursery as a whole.

For toddlers aged 18 months to around three, the Treetop Room combines movement and sensory exploration with puppets, stories, dance and daily messy play. For children under two in this room, the stated ratio is one adult to three children. The Willows serves children aged around two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half, using sand, clay and paint alongside activities that develop conversation, cooperation and taking turns. Preschool sessions, for children aged three-and-a-half to five, emphasise communication and preparation for the learning children will encounter at school.

The age bands overlap.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for the day: children develop language, movement and relationships through play, alongside early reading, mathematics, creativity and exploration of the world. These are the foundations of nursery education. Here, the room descriptions give those foundations concrete form, from babies communicating through music to toddlers experimenting with materials.

In May 2025, transport provided an example of learning across ages. Babies watched buses while adults supplied words for what they saw; older children explored how vehicles worked in different surroundings. Woodworking offered a different kind of challenge, with children learning tool names and safety rules before measuring and sawing. Practical experiences gave them something tangible to talk about.

Books also featured in the day. In May 2025, younger children shared books with adults, while puppets supported storytelling for older children. Children chose books themselves and selected songs during group singing. Those choices gave them a part in shaping an activity, rather than simply following an adult's selection.

There were two clear teaching priorities in May 2025. Some activities introduced distractions that drew attention away from the skill being taught, including toy cars during work on numerals. Reading sessions also needed more consistent follow-through, helping children expand on new words and bring them into conversation. Interesting materials alone were not enough; their connection to the intended learning mattered.

Relationships and Communication

Babies have year-round continuity of care, with emotional security given emphasis. Tiddlywinks also includes interaction with older children and outings around the town and nearby beauty spots. This combines a small baby group with opportunities to experience the wider nursery and its surroundings.

At the May 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that the key-person arrangements and communication with families supported children's wellbeing, with outside agencies involved when additional developmental support was needed. Staff discussed achievements with parents as well as concerns. For families, that combination matters: communication extends beyond reporting an enjoyable day to identifying what a child needs next.

In May 2025, adults spoke gently and respectfully to children, and familiar routines helped them move between activities. Children spent planned time with their key person. During difficult puzzles, staff encouraged them to keep trying, giving everyday frustration a manageable place within the nursery day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Individual interests and developmental stages shape activities. Babies' emotional needs, toddlers' growing independence and preschool children's communication each have a different emphasis. That makes the progression between play spaces more meaningful than a change of room name alone.

In May 2025, staff assessed what children needed to learn next and incorporated their interests into planned tasks. The teaching priorities described above remain relevant to that approach: an activity needs to hold a child's interest while keeping the intended skill clear.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at 35 Bell Street, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8AE. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. The distinction between the opening window and an individual family's attendance arrangement matters when planning a working week.

For school-age children, The Bell Street After-school Club runs from 3.30pm to 6pm on weekdays, with collection options at 4pm, 5pm or 6pm. It serves ages four to eleven and includes a walk from Abbey School in St James to Bell Street. This is a separate stage of childcare from the nursery's baby, toddler and preschool provision.

Children can choose quieter reading or activities such as cooking, art and gardening. A drink and snack are provided at the club, with options including fruit, toast and cheese. The combination of refreshments, conversation about the school day and freely chosen activities gives the afternoon a different rhythm from preschool learning.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded nursery education is offered from the term following a child's third birthday: 15 hours a week, or 30 hours a week for working families, depending on eligibility. Funding and the nursery's opening hours are separate considerations when arranging attendance. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01747 852666 or by email at admin@flying-start-nurseries.co.uk.

• The baby-group arrangement. Tiddlywinks cares for babies in groups of fewer than six. During a visit, ask how that arrangement works alongside interaction with older children and how a move to the Treetop Room is planned.
• Teaching precision. The May 2025 priorities concerned distracting activity materials and extending vocabulary from books. Ask for an example of how staff now keep a learning task purposeful and revisit new words afterwards.
• Funding and the working week. The nursery opens across the year, while its funded offer includes different weekly entitlements. Request a written attendance quotation showing how funded hours are arranged and which meals, consumables or other charges apply to your child's pattern.
• Care after starting school. The Bell Street After-school Club serves children aged four to eleven, with several collection times. Families planning beyond preschool should consider whether its Abbey School collection arrangement fits their child's school day.

Flying Start suits families who value practical learning and clearly described stages from babyhood to preschool. Tiddlywinks' small baby groups, The Willows' creative materials and the May 2025 woodworking example give the setting character beyond a general promise of learning through play.

Its practical reach includes weekday nursery care and after-school sessions with different collection times. The teaching priorities deserve a direct conversation, especially for parents who place a premium on language development. The strongest case here is the combination of age-specific experiences, key-person relationships and hands-on activities.