Old Macdonald's Day Nursery
OutstandingTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Hemel Hempstead for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in January 2023. Open since 1998, with 74 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Up to 15 free hours Universal Funding is available to all children from the beginning of the term after their 3rd birthday. You may be able to receive up to a further 15 free hours Extended Funding subject to government eligibility criteria being met, entitling your child to 30 free hours per funded week.
Worth knowing. The entitlement of up to 15 or 30 free hours Early Education per week is for 38 weeks, not 52 and excludes the cost of meals and consumables. Spring term – 11 weeks, summer term – 13 weeks, autumn term 14 weeks. Whilst our setting participates in free entitlement to Early Education for 3 and 4 year olds, this does not guarantee the availability of a place.
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
HP3 0JWWhat 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.
- 5 July 2022 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 10 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are enthusiastic and excited to begin their day in this incredibly stimulating nursery. Babies beam at their familiar adults as they explore leaves that they have collected from the farm. Toddlers proudly talk to adults about their visits to the hairdressers. They are excitable as they use scissors to cut up spaghetti, pretending that it is hair. Staff are quick to extend activities for children to broaden their experiences. Children are happy and resilient. They smile as they try hard to push themselves forward on bicycles in the garden. Staff use encouragement and modelling to motivate children to be determined and confident at what they do.
The skilled staff have the highest expectations of all children. They rapidly identify those who may need additional support and ensure that this is quickly put in place, both in the nursery and in partnership with families at home. Children make dramatic progress from their starting points, quickly developing their communication skills and extending their vocabulary. For example, pre-school children enthuse about receiving a postcard from 'Paddington Bear' from
Madagascar and explain to the inspector that it is in Africa. Children are motivated to learn new things, ask questions and share their own ideas with each other.
- 10 January 2023Outstanding
- 5 June 2017Good
- 1 September 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Old Macdonald's Day Nursery
- What it costs
- Nappies
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.