NurseryWise Childcare in England
Hertfordshire

Childcare in Harpenden

Harpenden has 11 day nurseries, 8 pre-schools, 8 school nursery classes, 5 childminders and 16 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 19 of them, and rated every one Good or better, 8 of them Outstanding. 29 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Across Hertfordshire there are 36 places per 100 children under five, better supplied than England as a whole at 32.

36places per 100 under-fives in Hertfordshire, against 32 for England
100%of the 19 inspected here are Good or better, 8 Outstanding
12 of 48are recorded as taking the funded hours; the rest are unknown, not a no

Places per 100 under-fives is registered capacity at nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across Hertfordshire, divided by the children aged 0 to 4 who live there at the 2021 Census. It compares areas; it is not a count of free places today. It also leaves out the 317 school nursery classes across Hertfordshire, because nobody publishes how many children they take.

Everything 48Day nurseries 11Pre-schools 8School nurseries 8Childminders 5After-school clubs 16
No filterTakes under-twosTakes funded hoursOpen all dayPublishes pricesSortBest ratedCheapestA to Z

5 settings match. Search by postcode to sort them by how far they really are.

Artisans Kindergarten

Pre-school · Crabtree Fields the Scout Hut Hq, Waldegrave Park, Harpenden, AL5 5SF

Report card Nov 2025Birth to 8+08:30 to 16:00, 5 days a week★ 4.4 Google, 1350 placesOpen for decades
07795 510 130Their website

Noah's Ark Pre-School

Pre-school · Scout Association, Fourth Harpenden Scouts, Harpenden, AL5 5EP

GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5From 3 years07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 633 placesLong established
07984554536Their website

Tick two or three to compare them.

Recently

What has changed here

Ofsted does not publish closures, so we work them out by comparing releases. Worth knowing if you are working from an old list.

  • Jun 2026Closed Fingertips Creative Arts Pre-School Sessional day care
  • Jun 2026Closed Fusion Pre-School Southdown Sessional day care
  • Jun 2026Closed FizzBug @ Grove Infant School Out-of-school day care
  • Jun 2026Closed Fizzbug @ The Grove Junior School Out-of-school day care
  • Jun 2025Opened FizzBug Holiday Club @ Harpenden Leisure Centre Out-of-school day care
  • Jun 2025Opened Fusion Pre School Southdown Sessional day care
  • Jun 2025Opened Harpenden Day Nursery and Pre School Full day care
  • Jun 2025Closed FizzBug Holiday Club @ Harpenden Leisure Centre Sessional day care
  • Jun 2025Closed Harpenden Day Nursery Full day care
Questions

What people ask about childcare in Harpenden

Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.

Which nurseries in Harpenden take funded hours?

12 of the 48 settings in Harpenden are recorded as taking the government funded hours. Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.

Are any nurseries in Harpenden rated Outstanding?

Yes. 8 of the 19 settings Ofsted has inspected in Harpenden hold an Outstanding grade.

Which nurseries in Harpenden take babies?

35 settings in Harpenden are registered to take children under two. Ofsted's register does not say whether a setting runs a baby room or has space in it, so ring before you plan around it.

Is it hard to get a nursery place in Harpenden?

Hertfordshire has 36 registered childcare places for every 100 children under five, against 32 across England. That is registered capacity rather than free places, so it compares areas rather than telling you what is available this week.

Nearby

Towns close to Harpenden

Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.

St. Albans156 settings · 4.5 milesLuton10 settings · 5.1 milesLuton141 settings · 6.3 milesWelwyn9 settings · 6.5 milesHemel Hempstead125 settings · 6.7 milesWelwyn Garden City67 settings · 7 miles
All townsHertfordshire