The Rocking Horse Nursery
Good★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in London for children from birth to 5, open 07:45 to 18:15, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2023. Open since 2008, with 76 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 Barnet
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Barnet 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
N3 1BDWhat 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, 1 December 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff help children to be happy, safe, and well settled in this welcoming nursery.
They gently encourage children to separate from their parents on arrival and begin to play. Through effective assessments, staff get to know children well and ensure that activities provided are linked to children's interest and build on what children already know. For example, staff help children to learn more about similarities and differences between each other as they explore where their families come from.
This helps children to remain engaged in their learning and make good progress from their starting points. This includes children who speak English as an additional language.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- further support and extend children's communication and language development n review toileting routines to assure children's privacy and to further promote their personal independence.
- 1 December 2023Good
- 16 June 2021Outstanding
- 9 August 2017Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Rocking Horse Nursery
- 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.