Datchworth Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Datchworth for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2023. Open since 1962, with 26 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 Hertfordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hertfordshire 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
SG3 6TLWhat 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, 26 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive with enthusiasm to start their day at this warm and caring preschool. They demonstrate self-confidence as they leave their parents independently. Children show close attachments to their key persons. They excitedly share their news from home with the nurturing, kind staff.
Staff value children as individuals from the moment they start. They work closely with families to ensure a smooth transition. Staff find out about children's likes and dislikes and their current interests. They build these interests into their curriculum.
For example, a child's recent passion for cooking is built into the role-play area with recipes from home. Staff value parents contributions and set up a partnership from the beginning. Parents start the children's learning journals with photographs and information from home. These close partnerships ensure the best possible outcomes for children.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to coherently plan and sequence the curriculum, so that teaching is focused on the skills and knowledge children need to learn next n strengthen opportunities for children to learn about cultural diversity in the wider world, to ensure they develop an understanding and tolerance of one another in modern Britain.
- 26 January 2023Good
- 19 May 2017Good
- 23 June 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Datchworth 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.