Carousel Nursery
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in New Malden for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. £74.00 a day for 2-5 years old, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2023. Open since 1997, with 30 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Price list dated 31st March 2025.
| Age | Full day | Session | Hourly | Weekly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-5 years old2y to 5y | £74.00All Day | £37.00Morning or Afternoon, 5 hrs | £10.00 | £350.00Full Time |
Before you start
One-off charges to take a place.
- £250.00 Refundable Depositrefundable
- £250.00 Deposit to secure a funded placerefundable
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £1.00 to £5.00 per 15 minutes Late collectionthereafter
- £7.00 Early Start
What a funded hour still costs
Funded hours cover the childcare. These are charged alongside them.
- £3.00 to £6.00 a session Trips, Festivals, Parental engagement events, SeasonalWorking Parent Entitlement for 2,3,4 year olds
- £6.00 to £12.00 a session Meals, Consumables, Chef and food preparationWorking Parent Entitlement for 2,3,4 year olds
- £9.00 to £18.00 a session Total for packageWorking Parent Entitlement for 2,3,4 year olds
Funded hours
3 & 4 year old Universal Entitlement 15 hours; Working Parent Entitlement for 2,3,4 year olds; Early Learning for 2-year-olds funding.
Worth knowing. Meals, Consumables, Chef and food preparation £6.00 per 5 hour session / £12.00 per 10 hour day; Trips, Festivals, Parental engagement events, Seasonal activities & emergency medication £3.00 per 5 hour session / £6.00 per 10 hour day; Total for package £9.00 per 5 hour session / £18.00 per 10 hour day; A deposit of £250.00 is required to secure a funded place at nursery.
What childcare usually costs in Merton
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Merton 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
KT3 6LXWhat 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, 13 December 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff promote an inclusive approach. They teach children about what makes them unique, in a fun and age-appropriate manner. For example, staff talk to children about their physical similarities and differences from each other. Children respond well to this and share their positive views of themselves. Staff sing with the children as part of their daily routines. This has a positive impact on children's motivational levels, and their joyful singing can be heard throughout the nursery.
Children are happy to sing Christmas carols and join in with the action songs. This practice helps to develop children's communication and listening skills.
Staff are vigilant in their supervision of children to help keep them safe. For example, during outdoor play, they ensure that children are always within their sight and hearing to minimise accidents. Staff encourage children to test and practise their gross motor skills, such as by running and hopping. Indoors, they play with the children and explore toy trains and dinosaurs, which add to their enjoyment. Staff engage children in conversation about the effects of food and water on their bodies. They ask children interesting questions, such as the importance of drinking water regularly. Children respond to this with enthusiasm and say to 'keep ourselves hydrated'.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop further how children are supported to enhance their mathematical skills.
- 13 December 2023Good
- 13 April 2018Good
- 16 July 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Carousel Nursery
- Youngest age taken
- 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
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.
- Is £74.00 a day still the rate? 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.