1st Choice Day Nursery
GoodTakes funded hours★ 4.9 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in London for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2025. Open since 2018, with 48 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
15 hours, 30 hours of weekly funding, tax-free childcare.
What childcare usually costs in Southwark
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Southwark 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
SE15 5EGWhat 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, 20 May 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders and managers know the children and their families well and form close partnerships with parents to support individual children's learning. They plan an ambitious curriculum for all children, to address any gaps in their learning. Children who speak English as an additional language and those who need support with their communication and language development make good progress from their starting points.
Children thoroughly enjoy the regular outings to the park. They behave well and demonstrate an understanding of rules and boundaries. Older children demonstrate an understanding of how to keep safe, for example, as they transfer themselves from the climbing equipment to a pole and slide down confidently. Children enjoy sharing experiences with their friends. For instance, they search for and collect natural objects of their choice.
Staff teach children to care for each other, share and take turns during play.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen opportunities for children to develop a consistent understanding of handwashing routines, particularly at snack times n strengthen the quality of staff interactions with children, particularly at the start of the day, so that children's play and learning are extended consistently.
- 20 May 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 5 November 2021Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for 1st Choice Day Nursery
- What it costs
- Youngest age taken
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? 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.