Our Methodology
How we collect, analyse, and present childcare intelligence. We believe in radical transparency about what we know and how we know it.
Data Sources
We aggregate data from official government regulators to ensure accuracy and completeness. Our primary sources are:
Additional data sources
- Provider submissions: Nurseries can claim their listing and provide accurate fee information directly
- Web intelligence: We analyse nursery websites to extract pricing where available
- Parent contributions: Anonymous fee submissions help us build a more complete picture
AI Analysis
We use AI to transform raw data into actionable intelligence. Here's what our models do:
Decision Snapshots
We synthesise inspection reports, provider information, and available data into a one-line summary that captures what's most important for parents making decisions. These are designed to cut through the noise and highlight what matters.
Inspection Interpretation
Inspection reports can be lengthy and full of jargon. We extract the key findings, identify practical concerns vs. paperwork issues, and explain what ratings actually mean for day-to-day care quality.
Availability Estimation
We estimate availability likelihood based on factors like nursery size, area demand patterns, staff-to-child ratios, and age group pressures. These are signals, not guarantees — always confirm directly with the nursery.
Parent Experience Synthesis
Where inspection reports mention parent feedback or we have access to review data, we synthesise common themes into "what parents consistently praise" and "areas some parents note" — giving you a balanced view.
Confidence Scoring
Not all data is equally reliable. We use confidence scores to indicate how much trust you should place in our estimates:
Direct provider submission, recent inspection, multiple data points confirming each other
Web-gathered data, recent but limited sources, reasonable estimation from comparable nurseries
Older data, area-based estimates, limited information available
Estimates based primarily on area averages, very limited specific data available
Important caveat
Our data is updated regularly but may not reflect the latest changes. Always confirm critical details (fees, availability, operating hours) directly with the nursery before making decisions.
Update Frequency
Regulator data
Synced periodically from Ofsted, CIW, and Care Inspectorate Scotland
New inspections are reflected as we update our database
Provider submissions
Updated immediately when nurseries claim and edit their listings
Claimed listings show the most current information
AI analysis
Regenerated when source data changes or on a rolling monthly schedule
Each nursery page shows when insights were last generated
Cost estimates
Recalculated quarterly based on new submissions and area trends
Direct provider submissions always take precedence
What We Don't Do
No pay-to-play rankings
Search results are never influenced by payment. Featured listings are clearly labeled.
No fake reviews
We don't generate or fabricate parent reviews. Everything is derived from real sources.
No hidden data
All the intelligence we show is available to everyone. No information is locked behind paywalls.
No recommendations without data
We show what we know, clearly labeled. We don't make claims we can't back up.
Questions about our methodology?
We're always happy to explain how we work. If something seems off or you'd like more detail, get in touch.
Contact us