197 Early Years Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Kingston upon Thames for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in August 2025. Open since 2004, with 89 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Kingston upon Thames
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Kingston upon Thames from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
KT2 6DYWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 7 August 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are settled at this warm and nurturing nursery. Staff plan individualised settling-in procedures for new starters. As such, babies seek out reassurance from familiar adults and cuddle up to their key person. Staff are knowledgeable and give children practical and emotional support. This helps children to build trusting bonds with the staff and to feel safe and secure.
Staff plan an ambitious curriculum that focuses on children's communication and language development and skills for later learning. They introduce new vocabulary and give a running commentary as children play, which supports their communication and language development. Babies start to babble and mimic the sounds of various toy farm animals hidden in hay. Younger children develop the small muscles in their hands as they catch pretend ducks in the water tray. This helps prepare them for later writing. Older children have opportunities to choose the story they would like to hear and develop good concentration skills and listen intently to shared stories, which staff deliver skilfully using a puppet. Children are becoming confident communicators.
Overall, children behave well and respond to the staff's instructions. Staff are kind and warm in their approach. They provide children with plenty of praise for their achievements. This builds children's confidence and self-esteem.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to teach precise learning intentions during group activities to help children remain fully engaged and learning n develop behaviour management strategies to support children to understand the impact of any unwanted behaviour and how their behaviour may impact on others.
- 7 August 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 12 November 2019Good
- 18 February 2014Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for 197 Early Years Nursery
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.