Tadpoles Nursery School, Chelsea
GoodTakes funded hours★ 4.6 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in London for children from birth to 5, open 08:30 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2025. Open since 2022, with 70 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
We take the 2 year old eligibility funding and the FEEE Funding from the term after the children turn 3 years of age; Our school's offer the FEEE government funding for the 15 hours. Our School's offer the Extended 30 Hour Funding also to parents who meet the government eligibility guidelines.
Worth knowing. Fees stated below are those before any deduction of government 'funded' hours. The FEEE funding is intended to cover the delivery of childcare with the basic levels of the EYFS and does not cover the costs of the extras listed above that the Tadpoles Nursery Schools provide throughout their full and enhanced curriculum. Fully Funded children are not able to access the enhanced enrichment programme however they will receive full access to the basic EYFS curriculum that we offer.
What childcare usually costs in Kensington and Chelsea
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Kensington and Chelsea 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
SW10 0AYWhat 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, 9 January 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children run into the setting with joy. They are greeted cheerfully by staff, and show happiness and delight at being in nursery. Parents and carers praise the setting's highly inclusive ethos. They value the positive approach staff use to include all children. Staff work closely with parents to share strategies of how to support children's personal, social and emotional development. They encourage the use of familiar comforters and display family photos in all rooms. This helps children, including those who are new, to feel secure at the setting.
Staff have high expectations of children. Before an outing, staff remind children about the rules they need to follow to keep safe. Staff prompt children to use manners and give children specific praise for their efforts. As a result, children are polite and behave well. They develop respect and learn how to cooperate with each other.
Children have lots of opportunities to be independent. Staff encourage them to put on their own boots and coats. They model strategies like holding onto something for balance. As a result, children learn to do things for themselves. During forest school, children use tools, such as hammers and nails, safely and independently. At snack times, they safely cut fruit with knives. These experiences help children to build practical skills, confidence and self-reliance.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen staff's interactions to promote an even more consistent approach in helping children to develop their communication and language skills, particularly by reducing the number of questions asked.
- 9 January 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
Still missing for Tadpoles Nursery School, Chelsea
- What it costs
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
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.
- How do you apply my funded hours? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.