Puddleducks Day Nursery (Baldock) Limited
Good★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Baldock for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 September 2024. Open since 1995, with 100 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
SG7 6AEWhat 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, 19 September 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enthusiastically embrace the activities and resources that staff provide to help them explore and learn. Children move around the rooms and garden, choosing what they would like to investigate or play with. Children sit in comfortable corners and look at books, which staff willingly read to them. Babies and very young children snuggle up with staff and quickly foster a love for books.
They turn the pages, pointing to familiar animals and characters. The words children hear in stories, rhymes and the many positive interactions they have with staff, contribute to children's growing vocabulary. By the time they leave for school, children are confident, articulate individuals.
Children behave well. Staff support them to recognise their own emotions and those of their peers. From a young age, children are encouraged to share and to respect others. Children follow simple instructions, such as lining up before they return into the building from the garden. The caring staff act as positive role models. In turn, children replicate what they see and hear, contributing to a harmonious environment in which to play and learn.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to recognise when to add even more targeted challenges to children's self-chosen play and investigations n encourage staff to consistently help children to develop a strong understanding of why it is important to follow the positive health and hygiene routines that are in place.
- 19 September 2024Good
- 16 November 2023Needs improvement
- 26 June 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Puddleducks Day Nursery (Baldock) Limited
- 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.