St Michael's Pre-school
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Woolmer Green for children from birth to 5, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 2003, with 30 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
SG3 6JPWhat 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, 12 July 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are eager to start playing when they arrive at pre-school. They are lively and sometimes boisterous. However, children settle quickly into the phonics session and are captivated by the way that staff use alliteration to call each child to their carpet spot. Children thoroughly enjoy water play. They are independent and practise getting themselves changed into their swimsuits ready for the pool.
Children demonstrate their ability to work together as they lay their towels out ready to dry themselves.
Children have good relationships with their key person and other staff. They confidently speak to staff, answering questions and talking about their family and home life. Children enjoy the social snack time where they learn to pour their drink from a jug into their beaker. Children are imaginative. They pretend to make a cake for a party using 'the recipe' for their mud cake. Staff provide a recipe card for children to read. Children gather items from the garden, starting with pine cones, ready to make the cake. They develop the activity, inviting more children to join them. Children explain how to play the party games and others continue to make more food.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- increase staff's understanding of how to consistently support all children's communication skills n help staff to explain the rules for appropriate behaviour so that children are clear about their expectations n support staff to effectively plan and provide exciting activities and opportunities that build on children's learning and development, to ensure they all make maximum progress in their learning.
- 12 July 2022Good
- 24 March 2022Inadequate
- 28 June 2016Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Michael's 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.