Kindred Wheathampstead
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in St. Albans for children from birth to 8+, open 07:45 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 November 2024. Open since 2015, with 65 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
AL4 8BWWhat 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, 7 November 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders and staff warmly welcome children on their arrival. Successful settling-in procedures support all children to build a sense of belonging and enable them to quickly build attachments with their designated key person. Children become engaged in their play, explore the environment and demonstrate a positive attitude to their learning. Staff encourage babies and younger children to explore the texture of soil, oats and hay and to immerse their hands in water. Staff play peekaboo games with young children and show them how to pour a pretend cup of tea for the dolls. Additionally, during painting activities, babies and younger children are taught how to grip appropriately-sized paint brushes. Children enthusiastically paint marks on paper and are praised for their achievements.
Leaders and staff implement appropriate boundaries and support children to manage their emotions. Children behave well. They learn to share and take their turn, and they understand the importance of being kind to their friends. Staff demonstrate to younger children how to pour water from one container to another and how to build a sandcastle in the sand pit. Children eagerly copy and persevere, demonstrating their hand-eye coordination skills well. Staff provide older children with a range of activities that enhances their imagination and creativity skills.
Children eagerly create potions at the mud kitchen, make dens using willow tree branches, and have opportunities to pretend to be builders in the builders yard.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- improve the consistency of teaching to ensure all staff extend children's learning during planned and spontaneous activities n review the organisation of routines to better support children's individual needs and learning outcomes.
- 7 November 2024Good
- 17 December 2018Good
- 13 July 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Kindred Wheathampstead
- 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.