Childcare in Watford
Watford has 27 day nurseries, 19 pre-schools, 28 school nursery classes, 21 childminders and 28 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 55 of them and rated 54 Good or better, 6 of them Outstanding. 68 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Of those that publish a price, a full day runs from £60 to £106, typically £95. Across Hertfordshire there are 36 places per 100 children under five, better supplied than England as a whole at 32.
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.
123 settings, best rated first. Search by postcode to sort them by how far they really are.
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 Chalk Hill Pre School Full day care
- Jun 2026Closed Bright Horizons Watford Day Nursery and Preschool Full day care
- Jun 2026Closed Stagecoach Watford Partnership Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Closed Apex Learning Centre Watford Full day care
- Jun 2026Closed Westfield Pre School Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened Bluebell Pre School Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened Westfield Pre School Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened FizzBug @ South Oxhey Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Opened Chalk Hill Pre School Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened Super Steps Nursery Cortland Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened FunFest Holiday Club Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Opened Ali's Academy Sessional day care
What people ask about childcare in Watford
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
How much does nursery cost in Watford?
Of the 5 full-day rates published by settings in Watford, the typical price is £95 a day, ranging from £60 to £106. These are prices the settings publish themselves, not an average of quotes.
Which nurseries in Watford take funded hours?
35 of the 123 settings in Watford 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 Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.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 Watford rated Outstanding?
Yes. 6 of the 55 settings Ofsted has inspected in Watford hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Watford take babies?
84 settings in Watford 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 Watford?
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.
Towns close to Watford
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.