First Place Nursery
Good★ 4.7 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Bushey for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 January 2023. Open since 2007, with 80 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
WD23 3AQWhat 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, 18 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are welcomed into this warm and friendly nursery. Staff take time to talk to parents to support children as they transition to the nursery. This means children settle quickly and helps them to feel safe and secure. Children enjoy accessing a wide range of exciting resources and activities that are based on the their interests. For example, children show an enthusiasm for aeroplanes as they push them through foam and water. Pre-school children explore painting on different textures, such as branches.
Children behave well. There are clear rules and routines in place which help children know what to expect. Staff support children to be kind to their peers and use manners such as 'please' and 'thank you'. Children are independent. From an early age, children learn self-care skills and good hygiene practices. For example, they learn to put their coats on and serve their own lunch. Children know to wash their hands and to put tissues in the bin.
Children build on their experiences and feel part of their local community. They visit churches, deliver food to local food banks and make poppies for the war memorial. Links to children in Cambodia support children to learn about differences and similarities as they share letters and photos about their schools and the houses they live in.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to firmly embed the curriculum for the youngest children in the setting n develop opportunities for all children to develop mathematical language and concepts through play.
- 18 January 2023Good
- 31 May 2017Good
- 7 December 2016Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for First Place Nursery
- 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.