Squirrels Nursery (Watford Ascot)
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Watford 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 March 2023. Open since 2015, with 40 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
WD18 8ADWhat 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, 14 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are extremely settled at the nursery. They explore the environment with excitement. Children are curious and have space to investigate. Children are cared for by caring, happy and nurturing staff. They have established close bonds with the staff, who know them very well. The leadership team and the staff have focused heavily on the environment and have provided children with rich learning opportunities, both indoors and outdoors. Children enjoy their time in the garden, which is an exciting and stimulating place to learn. They carefully dig in the mud to look for insects and bugs. They carefully place a centipede in a pot to show to their friends and staff. They use magnifying glasses to examine the insect in more detail and discuss what they see. They have lists of insects that they want to find and cross them off as they see them.
Young children move around with ease and can access appropriate resources for their developmental needs. Staff are very attentive, and babies enjoy lots of cuddles and praise for their efforts. Children concentrate as they use toy animals to make marks and paint. They dip the animals' feet into the paint and make patterns on the paper. Children are developing the skills they need for future learning.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to take full account of all children's individual needs and abilities, particularly during group activities.
- 14 March 2023Good
- 17 July 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Squirrels Nursery (Watford Ascot)
- 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.