St Luke's Pre-School
Good★ 4.7 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Watford for from 1 year 6 months up to 5 year olds, open 08:30 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2024. Open since 2016, with 37 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
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
WD17 3EJWhat 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, 10 May 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children's interests are at the heart of staff practice. The manager and staff carefully plan and prepare the pre-school environment daily. They provide activities that target children's individual interests and learning needs. For example, every morning, children and staff enjoy group dance sessions. This supports children to start their day with a positive attitude to learning. As a result, children settle well and remain deeply engaged in exciting learning opportunities throughout their time at the pre-school.
The manager establishes a highly effective key-person system that supports all children to feel safe and secure. Children find comfort and reassurance in staff when tired, and they delight in showing off their artistic creations. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported in the preschool. They develop particularly close bonds with nurturing one-to-one staff, who demonstrate a deep understanding of their specific needs.
Children are kind and behave well. They demonstrate empathy for one another, comforting their friends when hurt or upset. Staff have a consistent approach to supporting children's behaviour. They establish clear boundaries and provide children with strategies to support them in managing conflicts. As a result, children understand the need to take turns and are learning to resolve disputes independently.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- ensure staff consistently adapt their teaching during activities to further challenge the most able children.
- 10 May 2024Good
- 20 June 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Luke's Pre-School
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- 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.
- Can I use my funded hours here? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.