Smithfield House Children's Nursery
GoodTakes funded hours★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in London for babies from a few weeks old up to school age, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2023. Open since 2011, with 100 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
15 hours universal entitlement for 3-4 year olds; 30 hours extended entitlement for 3-4 year olds; 15 hours for eligible 2-year-olds; funded hours from 9 months for eligible working families.
Worth knowing. Funded hours are stretched across 51 weeks of the year — around 11.18 hours a week for 15-hour funding, or 22.35 hours for 30-hour funding. Government funding covers childcare hours only. A small monthly contribution covers items that aren't funded — including those freshly prepared meals cooked on-site by our chef. Funding depends on a valid eligibility code from the Council.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
EC1A 9HYWhat 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, 16 May 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and enjoy their time in this nursery. Relationships are caring, and staff know children well and celebrate their achievements. Children's independence skills are encouraged throughout the nursery. For example, older children skilfully put on their own coats by flipping them over their heads. They proudly show how they are learning to pull up their zips by themselves.
Children behave well. They practise taking turns during circle time and listen attentively when their friends describe how they are feeling. Staff encourage children to talk as much as possible. Younger children indicate they would like to play with the cars which are in a drawer. Staff encourage them to say the word
'car' as they help them to pull out the drawer together.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the organisation of group activities to ensure that children's attention is fully engaged throughout.
- 16 May 2023Good
- 20 July 2017Good
- 3 December 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Smithfield House Children's Nursery
- What it costs
- 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
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.