Squirrels Day Nursery
Good★ 4.4 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Broxbourne 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 January 2024. Open since 2001, with 84 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
EN10 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, 25 January 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff provide a loving and caring environment for children, who look to staff for reassurance and cuddle up to them for comfort. Staff's expectations and boundaries at the nursery are clear and consistent. Children behave well and show care and respect for others. For example, when children bump into each other, they apologise and check that their friends are okay. They demonstrate a clear understanding of staff's expectations and share this with friends by reminding them to sit down during group time. Children take responsibility for their own behaviour and support peers to do the same.
Staff teach children how to keep their bodies safe and healthy. From a young age, they encourage children to make choices and develop their independence. As children get older, staff teach them how to look after themselves. For example, children learn about the weather and what they may need to wear outdoors. They recognise that it is cold and cloudy and discuss what clothing they may need before getting ready to go outdoors. Children independently find their outdoor clothing and put it on. This provides children with a sense of belonging and pride and gives them strong foundations for when they transition to school.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to consider how to help children maintain their focus during group times so that they get the most out of the learning experiences on offer n review the organisation of mealtimes and help staff to provide children with a sociable experience that raises the quality of their interactions with adults and each other.
- 25 January 2024Good
- 5 March 2018Outstanding
- 21 January 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Squirrels Day Nursery
- 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.