First Steps
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Waltham Cross 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 March 2025. Open since 2003, with 22 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
EN7 6PZWhat 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, 20 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive smiling and quickly separate from their parents. Leaders and staff create a very warm and nurturing environment, where children are at the heart of everything they do and thrive. They are prompted to make their own choices of activities and resources to explore, indoors or in the large, stimulating garden. For example, when children express a particular interest in superheroes, staff provide dressing-up costumes and encourage them to engage in pretend play. As children play a role in this game and giggle with excitement, the nurturing staff ensure they take turns and share resources well. This helps supports children's imaginative skills and strengthens their social interactions.
Staff are very supportive and intuitive about children's needs. They have high expectations of children who are confident to follow the nursery's routines and boundaries exceptionally well. Children behave well and display good manners. For example, at snack time, young children are supported to make their own choices of fruits, while older children are encouraged to pour their own drinks. Staff and leaders continuously offer praise and recognition for children's efforts. As a result, children become positive and independent learners who show they feel valued during their time at the nursery.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to consistently adapt their interactions to extend children's learning further.
- 20 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 30 April 2019Good
- 11 October 2018Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for First Steps
- 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.