Squirrels Day Nurseries (Hemel) Ltd
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Hemel Hempstead for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2022. Open since 2015, with 36 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
HP2 5NTWhat 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, 5 July 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy a wide variety of activities in this bright, welcoming nursery. Staff develop secure relationships with children, allowing children to feel safe in the nursery. Staff use children's interests to plan activities. Younger children explore the sensory tray. They crawl in it, and use their bare feet to explore the textures, crunching the flakes and watching to see what happens next. This helps children to become inquisitive learners.
Children receive a lot of praise and encouragement from staff as they play, such as when children climb up the ladders to the climbing frame. Staff encourage children to try independently. As their confidence builds, staff members gradually offer less support. Children enjoy exploring the different ways to climb. They delight as they make their way to the slide at the top. These achievements build on children's selfesteem.
Children seek each other out to share experiences. Younger children play alongside their peers. They watch intently as their friends play with toys, copying and following their lead. Older children work together to hunt for leaves, ready for leaf printing. They talk together about how their leaves look and try to find the biggest ones. This helps develop children's social skills and ability to work together.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- guide staff working with babies to enhance their knowledge of how babies learn to improve their interactions and engage babies in purposeful learning opportunities n support staff to provide a more consistent approach to behaviour management so that children understand the rules and know what is expected of them.
- 5 July 2022Good
- 8 September 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Squirrels Day Nurseries (Hemel) 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.
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.