St Barnabas Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 March 2023. Open since 1992, with 60 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 4HYWhat 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, 28 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy to attend this setting. They are friendly, settled and display a positive attitude to learning. Children form warm and strong relationships with the staff, who support their emotional well-being and resilience. For example, children have an amazing time learning about different emotions when exploring a book about 'Colour Monsters'. They listen to the story with curiosity, and this helps to support their early reading skills. In addition, staff encourage children to talk about how they are feeling, to help them boost their self-esteem and self-regulation.
Children navigate around the setting with great enthusiasm, choosing activities that spark their interest and excitement. Staff often use visual prompts and cues to support children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children enjoy pretending to be vets in the home corner. They use their previous experiences to engage in role play with their peers, which helps them to strengthen their social interactions.
Children talk about what makes animals sick and learn care and affection towards them. This supports children's understanding of the world they live in. Children also enjoy exploring play dough to build on their fine motor skills, control and manipulation.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide opportunities for children to hear and learn a wider range of new words to extend their vocabulary, particularly for younger children and those who require extra support n strengthen the quality of teaching and education to ensure that all children are suitably challenged and benefit from extensive learning opportunities.
- 28 March 2023Good
- 11 July 2017Good
- 30 April 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Barnabas Pre-School
- 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.