Tom Thumb Day Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in London for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2023. Open since 2006, with 51 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 Waltham Forest
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Waltham Forest 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
E17 9LZWhat 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, 7 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and settle quickly to play with their friends. Parents come into the nursery to drop off and collect their children. They exchange information with friendly and caring staff. Babies are warmly greeted and snuggle in for cuddles with staff, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure. Children develop strong nurturing bonds with the kind and familiar staff. Children make independent choices and access a range of well-organised resources. They confidently explore the spacious environment.
Children have a positive attitude to their learning, and take part in activities with enthusiasm and excitement. For example, after reading a story about fairies that cannot fly, older children begin to draw and decorate fairy pictures using a wide range of art materials.
Staff promote diversity well. The staff plan cooking activities weekly, which include traditional recipes to embrace children's cultures. Staff support bilingual children to use their home languages during their play. Trips in the community help children to learn about other cultures and what makes them unique. Children play very well together. They are kind and thoughtful. Children's behaviour is good. All children make good progress from their starting points.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review adult-led group times for babies to reduce long periods of sitting n build on teaching skills for mathematics to help older children extend their knowledge of new concepts, such as shape, counting and measure.
- 7 March 2023Good
- 9 March 2017Good
- 30 January 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Tom Thumb Day 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.