Playschool Nursery St Albans
Good★ 4.3 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in St Albans for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2025. Open since 2011, with 90 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
AL1 3ARWhat 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 June 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle well and enjoy their time exploring this interesting and vibrant nursery. They engage well in the wealth of play opportunities that leaders and staff plan around their varied ages, interests and learning needs. All children enjoy daily sessions of outdoor play to develop their physical skills. Staff provide an indoor garden that allows children to explore concepts, such as growth and decay They have a well-considered sensory room that encourages children to explore their feelings and begin to regulate their emotions.
Children are learning to be independent in age-appropriate ways. Staff encourage them to complete tasks throughout the day. Young children change their shoes on arrival and place them in containers before joining their friends in play. Staff encourage older children to take on roles of responsibility in their rooms. They assign themselves tasks such as 'line organiser' when moving around the nursery, and 'soft-play tidier' when organising their environment. These small yet significant responsibilities support children's growing confidence.
Staff implement the nursery's core values well across all rooms. All staff model polite and respectful behaviour towards children. Older children can refer to these values on the colourful displays they have created about them. These expectations are shared with parents to provide a consistent approach to supporting children's behaviour. As a result, children behave well and are kind and helpful towards their friends.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- consider ways to further incorporate children's changing interests into staff's teaching, particularly during planned activities with older children n enhance current methods of coaching and mentoring to further promote the skills and knowledge of room leaders.
- 9 June 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 16 December 2021Good
- 7 December 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Playschool Nursery St Albans
- 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.