Once Upon A Time Pre-School/after School Club
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Croydon for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 17:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2025. Open since 2017, with 60 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 Croydon
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Croydon 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
CR0 2BYWhat 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, 9 September 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy their time at the pre-school. They have access to a broad and balanced curriculum, which meets the learning and development needs of all children. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language. The staff team are skilled and have a strong understanding of children's development. This helps them to implement an exciting curriculum that motivates children to learn.
Staff respond well to the emotional needs of children. They provide warmth and gentle interactions, which children positively respond to. Staff listen to what children have to say and acknowledge their feelings. They take time to build warm bonds and trusting relationships with children. This helps children to feel safe and secure. They settle well into the pre-school routine and quickly develop the confidence to explore.
Staff are strong and positive role models. They provide children with the utmost respect, which positively impacts on the way children treat both the resources and each other. Children are aware of the routines and boundaries and staff deal with any minor altercations swiftly and sensitively. The children are developing traits they will need as they move through their education, such as sharing and taking turns.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to enhance children's thinking skills by giving children more time to respond to questions with their own ideas and opinions n strengthen staff teaching to focus more precisely on planned learning intentions to help children make progress in their learning.
- 9 September 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 18 October 2024Needs improvement
- 6 November 2018Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Once Upon A Time Pre-School/after School Club
- 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.