NurseryWise Childcare in England
Day nursery in Harlow

Raindrops Day Nursery Ltd

OutstandingBirth to 5Long established

A day nursery in Harlow for children from birth to 5, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in October 2022. Open since 2015, with 64 places.

Call 01297 976300

Cost

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 Essex

£7.00an hour, typical for a 2 years old
£6.50an hour, typical for a 3 and 4 years old

This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Essex from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.

The basics

Places, hours and the day

Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.

Who they can take
Birth to 5Registered from birth. Whether there is a baby room is a question for the call.
When it's open
07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a weekFrom their Google listing
Funded hours
Not published, so ask them
A second number
+441279976301Listed on Google. Ofsted holds a different one.
How many children
64 placesLarge for England
How long open
11 yearsLong established
Address
The Meadows Childrens Centre, Harberts Road, Harlow, CM19 4DL

Where it is

CM19 4DL
Ofsted URN EY494495On the register since 4 September 2015
Ofsted

What 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, 27 October 2022 · read the full report

What it is like to attend

Children flourish at this nursery. This is because leaders and staff are united in their vision to provide children with the best possible start to their learning. They are highly ambitious for all children to develop a love of learning and achieve well.

This is consistent across the nursery. Children enjoy group activities and listen with rapt attention. They hear new language, repeating and learning words. Staff revisit subjects to check children's understanding. They engage children in conversation and skilfully encourage them to think, question and make decisions.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They show high regard to each other and to staff, demonstrating behaviour that is expected. They speak politely to each other during play, sharing and taking turns. Children are impressively self-sufficient and keen to do things for themselves. They readily put their coats on and fasten them.

  • 27 October 2022Outstanding
  • 10 March 2017Outstanding

Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.

Still missing for Raindrops Day Nursery Ltd

  • 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.

Before you ring

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.
Compare

Day nurseries within a couple of miles

This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.

Raindrops Day Nursery Ltd

Day nursery · The Meadows Childrens Centre, Harberts Road, Harlow, CM19 4DL

OutstandingBirth to 507:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week64 placesLong established

Kindred Harlow

Day nursery · Harlow Leisurezone, Second Avenue, Harlow, CM20 3DT

GoodBirth to 8+07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week★ 4.5 Google, 3340 placesOpen for decades
0.6 mi
11 min walk
01279454495Their website

Banana Moon Day Nursery Harlow

Day nursery · Netteswell Hall Annexe, Netteswell Orchard, Harlow, CM20 2QH

GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Babies from 3 months07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week★ 4.4 Google, 1360 placesLong established

The Nursery Rooms

Day nursery · Warwick House, Perry Road, Harlow, CM18 7NF

GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Babies from 3 months07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 576 placesOpen for decades
1.1 mi
22 min walk
01279 866445Their website

Pick two or three to compare.

Everything here comes from Ofsted's published childcare register, under the Open Government Licence. Ratings are quoted exactly as Ofsted gave them, with their dates. Read the full Ofsted reports · How we put this together.

All childcare in Harlow