Collingham Gardens Nursery
GoodTakes funded hours★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Bloomsbury for from 1 year 8 months up to 5 year olds, open 08:00 to 17:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2022. Open since 2012, with 24 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
15 hours and 30 hours government funding schemes; Camden's scheme offering free part time education for eligible two-year-olds.
Worth knowing. Hours on top of free hours are charged according to our hourly rates.
What childcare usually costs in Camden
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Camden 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
WC1N 1PHWhat 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.
- 10 June 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 18 November 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children learn to develop their imaginations, conversations and social skills extremely well at this wonderful nursery. The impressive and extensive outdoor garden is a hub of discovery and wonder for them. Children spend the majority of their day playing and exploring adventurously in the fresh air. They build excellent physical stamina. Children form meaningful friendships with each other. They excitedly invent their own games and narratives. For example, children creatively repurpose used cardboard boxes. They immerse themselves in imaginary role play.
Afterwards, children extend their ideas by pretending to travel for a family day in their 'move boxes'.
Staff spend time playing and interacting with children. They encourage, challenge and support children's ideas as they explore in nature. Children learn to observe living things and their different features. For example, they closely examine worms whenever they uncover them under the tree stumps. Children develop impressive conversational skills. This is because staff expertly engage them in meaningful discussions at every opportunity. Children openly share their news and stories with their friends and staff alike. Overall, there is a real sense of belonging and community togetherness at the nursery.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide opportunities for children to learn to manage their own personal hygiene, such as wiping their own noses n continue with the agreed arrangements for the handover of leadership to the new management committee.
- 18 November 2022Good
- 25 November 2019Good
- 3 January 2013Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Collingham Gardens Nursery
- What it costs
- Nappies
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.