Chairbears Day Nursery
OutstandingTakes funded hours★ 4.7 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in London for babies from 3 months up to school age, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in June 2023. Open since 2014, with 90 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Families are able to access funded childcare from the term after their child turns 9 months old right up until school. Working parents may receive up to 30 hours per week, while all 3 and 4 year olds are entitled to 15 hours, no matter your circumstances. Some families of 2 years olds may also qualify for funded hours if the receive certain benefits.
What childcare usually costs in Lewisham
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Lewisham 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
SE8 4PAWhat 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, 12 June 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at nursery enthusiastic and eager to learn. They are extremely familiar with the daily routines and settle in confidently. Staff are dedicated and create a highly nurturing and friendly environment. This helps children to feel emotionally secure and safe. All children form very strong attachments with their key person. Staff are sensitive and caring and respond to younger children's needs quickly. For example, they gently direct and encourage children with runny noses to the 'nose-wiping station'. Children understand about the importance of selfhygiene and stopping germs from spreading.
Children benefit from accessing a vast amount of activities that stimulate their inquisitive minds. For example, children use fresh ingredients to make lemonade by following instructions. Staff then serve this at lunchtime for all children to enjoy.
They enable children to explore and enhance their skills based on their current stage of development. Children initiate their own play and easily access resources to make choices. They select what they are interested in independently.
- 12 June 2023Outstanding
- 12 December 2017Good
- 13 December 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Chairbears Day Nursery
- What it costs
- 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
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.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.