College Road Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Harrow for children from birth to 8+, open 08:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2024. Open since 1992, with 24 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 Harrow
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Harrow 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
HA1 1BAWhat 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, 22 May 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff are kind and attentive to children's individual needs. As a result, children are happy and secure and enjoy their time in the pre-school. The key-person system is effective. Staff work closely with parents to find out about children's interests, needs and home care routines, which helps ensure their individual needs are met.
Children settle quickly. They develop their independence from an early age. They take off their outdoor clothing on arrival and quickly identify their name on the pegs. They are eager to see their friends and join in the fun activities on offer.
Staff plan a wide curriculum, which captures children's interests. For example, staff provide frequent opportunities for children to be active. Children have fun as they hold brushes and use water to paint the outside wall .They show delight at the patterns they make. They develop their physical skills as they navigate and explore a variety of indoor climbing apparatus. Staff enrich children's vocabulary, as they talk about the movements they make, such as 'descend, skip', and 'roll'.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the organisation of group activities, to maximise learning opportunities for all children.
- 22 May 2024Good
- 6 June 2023Needs improvement
- 8 November 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for College Road Pre-School
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.