The Mall Nursery and Creche
Good★ 4.9 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Luton for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 17:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2021. Open since 1998, with 80 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 Luton
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Luton 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
LU1 2TWWhat 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 November 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle in quickly to this busy and vibrant nursery. They demonstrate confidence as they play and experiment with the range of toys and activities available to them. Children make good progress in their communication and language skills. Staff sing songs, read them stories and use new words to extend their vocabulary. Older children learn about rhyming words, as they listen carefully to the sounds. Younger children join in the repetitive phrases of familiar stories.
Children build tall towers with blocks while staff use mathematical language. This helps them begin to understand the concepts of tall and high in a playful way.
Children have experiences that reflect their own lives. Younger children wash dollies with flannels, learning to care for others. When children label a bulb of garlic as an onion, staff encourage them to feel and smell the vegetables to explore the differences between them. This helps children to make sense of what happens at home. Children delight in identifying trains and aeroplanes nearby. They imagine where the passengers have been and are going. Children practise cutting up their snack and pouring their own drinks. Younger children identify their coats and older children attempt to put them on themselves. This helps children to develop some of their independence skills.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- refine the focus for professional development further to encourage all staff to develop their teaching skills to the highest levels n support staff to help older children understand the consequences of different types of behaviour and the impact this can have on others.
- 10 November 2021Good
- 30 March 2017Good
- 17 February 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Mall Nursery and Creche
- 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.