Harpole Day Nursery
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Northampton for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 February 2023. Open since 2005, with 50 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 West Northamptonshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West Northamptonshire 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
NN7 4BZWhat 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, 27 February 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thoroughly enjoy their time at Harpole Day Nursery. They are greeted at the door by warm, friendly staff. Toddlers and pre-school children are supported to separate from their parents before moving on to find their friends. Highly attentive staff handle babies with great care and support them to settle quickly. Staff know all children extremely well. This helps children to feel secure, form positive relationships with staff and develop a good sense of belonging.
Children are encouraged to independently manage their own coats and shoes. Staff have high expectations of children. Their positive interactions contribute to children's learning, and support children to understand and manage their own behaviour. Children, including babies, are learning to be kind to their friends. Staff support them with gentle reminders about sharing, waiting and taking turns.
The environment is well resourced and babies and children can make independent choices about what they want to play with. All children enjoy learning, both indoors and outdoors. Staff plan a curriculum that takes account of children's interests and their learning needs. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are making good progress.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop staff practice when working with groups of children, in particular in the pre-school room.
- 27 February 2023Good
- 29 March 2017Outstanding
- 16 April 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Harpole Day 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.