Happy Nursery Days
GoodTakes funded hours★ 4.6 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in London for babies from 3 months up to 5 year olds, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2023. Open since 2004, with 63 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
We currently offer term time places for 2 year olds who are eligible under the Early Learning Offer. Children who are eligible are entitled to 15 hours per week. We currently offer term time places for 3-4 year olds who are eligible under the Universal Entitlement. Children who are eligible are entitled to 15 hours per week. From September some 3-4 year olds will be eligible to an additional 15 ho.
What childcare usually costs in Lambeth
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Lambeth 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
SW2 2RXWhat 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.
- 12 October 2022 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 17 April 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The dedicated staff team has made several changes and improvements since the last inspection. The team has successfully met all actions raised and the outcomes for children have improved. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development from their starting points.
Staff implement a stronger focus on supporting children's communication and language skills. They read the book of the week during daily group story sessions, which children actively join in, showing they have built their knowledge of the storyline. Staff ask children questions about the story, enabling them to anticipate what they think will happen next. Older children confidently express their thoughts and feelings as they talk about the story. Staff extend children's learning further as they discuss how to grow their own fruit and vegetables.
Children have good relationships with staff and each other. They are building strong friendships and learning to play cooperatively. Staff give babies lots of cuddles, which helps them feel safe and secure. Children actively join in the daily routines and help tidy away toys after use. They are supported well by staff in learning to share and take turns during play. For example, children share puzzle pieces and complete the puzzle together and take turns to use bikes. As a result, children behave well and become engrossed in their play.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen procedures to complete the progress check when children are aged two years and review how the assessment records are maintained so they are easily accessible to staff and parents n enhance opportunities for children to use their home language during play to further promote their communication skills and all children's awareness of their similarities and differences.
- 17 April 2023Good
- 19 October 2022Inadequate
- 28 September 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Happy Nursery Days
- What it costs
- 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
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.