Balham Rainbow Nursery
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in London for children from birth to 5, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in August 2023. Open since 2015, with 46 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 Wandsworth
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Wandsworth 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
SW12 8QXWhat 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, 25 August 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff offer a welcoming and stimulating learning environment where children feel happy and safe. Staff know the children well and place a strong focus on children's well-being. New children and babies settle quickly, and all children form strong emotional attachments with their key person. As a result, children are confident and ready to learn.
Children eagerly come into the nursery and happily engage in play with their friends. Staff's interactions enhance children's learning as they play. For instance, younger children enjoy bathing their dolls in the water and confidently use cloths to wash them. Staff talk to the children about what they are doing and are good role models for communication. Older children learn about traffic lights as they play colour matching games. This is then extended as children learn to use scissors to cut circles to make their own lights.
Staff have high expectations of all children. A consistent approach to managing behaviour ensures that children feel valued and listened to. Children behave well and have good attitudes towards learning. For example, children listen to instructions well and understand about taking turns and sharing toys from an early age.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to develop their teaching skills in literacy so that they maximise opportunities for children to develop their early writing and understanding of letters and sounds n review and enhance some adult-led activities to maximise opportunities for children to explore in their own way and try out their own ideas.
- 25 August 2023Good
- 24 October 2018Good
- 11 February 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Balham Rainbow 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.