Friends Together
OutstandingBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Harpenden for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in January 2024. Open since 2013, with 48 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
AL5 1PFWhat 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, 11 January 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The nurturing manager and staff are extremely successful in building on what children know and can already do as they play. They follow the children's interests, show a genuine interest in what the children are doing and carefully steer their learning. Time and thought go into planning a wide range of learning opportunities which ignite the children's curiosity and interest. Children demonstrate enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. They thoroughly enjoy developing friendships and sharing experiences with their peers and the staff.
Staff provide children with a wide range of activities to support their hand-to-eye coordination and muscle strength. Children show high levels of concentration as they connect magnetic shapes together and use the wand to make bubbles. They demonstrate perseverance, precision and control as they stretch elastic bands over pegs, forming recognisable shapes and patterns. Staff praise children for their achievements, which is extremely effective in supporting their self-esteem. Children smile in response and look very proud. Staff ask questions about how they might use resources, such as the toy train track pieces. This is very successful in supporting the children to differentiate between the different sizes and shapes of the track pieces. Children spontaneously count the number of track pieces and work together very well to achieve their goal. During role-play activities, staff skilfully know when to enable the children to develop their own ideas and when to intervene to extend the children's learning. For example, the children's discussion about teeth leads to staff asking questions about the importance of brushing their teeth and visiting the dentist.
- 11 January 2024Outstanding
- 16 January 2018Outstanding
- 19 May 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Friends Together
- 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.