Mount Carmel Kindergarten - Kinder Lodge

100a Sandpit Lane, St Albans AL4 0BX
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Top 20 award
10 132 Reviews
  • Mount Carmel Kindergarten - Kinder Lodge, St Albans
Mount Carmel Kindergarten is a leading nursery school in St Albans, combining preschool education and day care facilities to children aged two years and above.

This nursery school is set in its own purpose-built Norwegian log cabin and located in beautiful green belt countryside. It offers children four distinct activity rooms and a spacious all-weather garden to ignite their curiosity and develop a love of learning.

Mount Carmel Kindergarten has developed its own "carousel" method of teaching, providing children with a balance of structure and choice and ensuring that all their educational needs are met. The highly qualified staff offer children a balance of fun, exploration and challenging activities including weekly country walks and cooking as well as Christmas Nativity plays and summer sports days.   

Flexible all-day sessions are available to children aged two to five years during term time. Holiday clubs are also available to parents, run by Mount Carmel staff for Mount Carmel children.

Mount Carmel Kindergarten has excellent links with local primary schools in St Albans, Harpenden and the surrounding area including St Albans High School, Habasdashas, Aldwickbury and St Columbus.
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Gabriella Spooner (Principal)

Admission Information

  • Flexible attendance

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 15

Total Places for Children

  • 50

Age Range

  • from 2 years 1 months
  • to 4 years 11 months

Funding & Fees

  • Children are eligible to join the nursery from the September following their second birthday. We accept all childcare vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare.


    Funding for working parents is only available for parents who meet the eligibility criteria. To find out if you are eligible and apply for the working parents funding you will need to visit the Government website Childcare Choices and apply through your HMRC childcare portal.


    Three year old universal funding is available to all children in the term after their third birthday.


    *Please note that the local authority funding rates for two-year-olds and three-year-olds are not the same. This is reflected in the price disparity between the different age groups.


    Nursery sessions are also available throughout the school holidays.


    To view our fees schedule please see our website.

Opening Times

  • Monday 08:00-17:00
    Tuesday 08:00-17:00
    Wednesday 08:00-17:00
    Thursday 08:00-17:00
    Friday 08:00-17:00

When Closed

  • Never

Mount Carmel Kindergarten - Kinder Lodge Reviews (132)

10

Mount Carmel Kindergarten - Kinder Lodge has a Review Score of 10 (10.000) out of 10, based on 14 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Mount Carmel Kindergarten - Kinder Lodge has 132 reviews.

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Review from Matt K (Father of Child) published on 14 January 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son and now our daughter attended this nursery and we really couldn't be happier. The people are wonderful - friendly, caring and deeply committed to caring for and teaching the children in their care. My daughter loves going there and always has a smile on her face when she arrives and when she
leaves. I couldn't recommend this place more highly!
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Review from Helen L (Mother of Child) published on 14 January 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Mount Carmel is fantastic nursery and I have sent both of my daughters from the age of two and a half. The staff are superb, friendly and respectful of each child's individual needs. Facilities are great and the focus on learning through play is exploring, offers a great pre-school foundation. I cannot
recommend a nursery more highly.
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Review from Karen P (Mother of Child) published on 14 January 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Excellent nursery provision. Outstanding care, staff, activities and facilities. All of my children have been so happy here. Would highly recommend.
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Review from Stephanie S (Mother of Child) published on 14 January 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have sent my children to a different nursery before sending my youngest to Mount Carmel Kindergarten. I was concerned about the move as I was very happy with the nursery my children were at. I shouldn't have been as Mount Carmel is an amazing pre-school. The staff are superb, getting to know the children
well and very quickly. The children do lots of different activities including country walks and cooking lessons. The actual nursery/pre school building itself is magical and immaculately presented. My little boy could not be happier with Mount Carmel Kindergarten and neither could I.
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Review from Nelly G (Mother of Child) published on 13 January 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter absolutely enjoys going to Mount Carmel. All staff members are extremely professional and understand each child's needs and have a wonderful approach to children. The fact that all kids are engaged in learning activities and mentored and guided by teachers as they learn. By far the best
kindergarten in St Albans.
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Review from Ellie C (Mother of Child) published on 13 January 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Mount Carmel provides a warm, friendly environment. It's a home from home. The carers offer a wide range of activities and prepare children well for starting school.
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Review from Lucy M (Mother of Child) published on 13 January 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter loves Mount Carmel, they seem to do such a wide range of different activities and the staff are so lovely. She especially loves the singing in circle time and the cooking on Fridays. We are very happy in having chosen Mount Carmel and would happily recommend it to others.
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Review from Elizabeth B (Mother of Child) published on 12 January 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have used 4 different child care providers across two countries and Mount Carmel has the best combination of warmth, care, safety and education that I have seen. My daughter has just started her second term and is learning and growing exceptionally under the support and care provided by Mount Carmel.
She loves the activities provided and I feel comfortable that she is always stimulated and exposed to new experiences as well as old routines to help her feel secure. I regularly recommend Mount Carmel to friends and have no hesitation doing so here too.
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Review from Sarbani P (Mother of Child) published on 8 January 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been going to this nursery full time, Mon-Fri for quite sometime now.
Each day is different including country walks, show n tell and baking sessions. She really enjoys her art and classroom sessions and is very excited to talk about it at home. The nursery teachers are really caring
and our daughter is very fond of every one of them.
They have very well planned holiday clubs which are provided in the same setting but a different environment.
She absolutely loves going there and really enjoys her day. Due to the nature of our jobs we had to move house quite often and this is the 4th nursery she has attended. We can say without hesitation that this is by far the best nursery she has attended and the one she loves the most.


We would definitely recommend the nursery to all of our friends and for our future children!

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Review from Sharon A (Grandmother of Child) published on 4 January 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My 2 daughters attended Mount Carmel 25 + years ago and now my Grandson, goes there. The love and care is the same now as it was then, even though the nursery is a lot larger. When I first visited the premises (which was new to me) I loved it, a mini school with a fantastic outside play area of off
the classrooms, but also the weekly Woodland Walks in the field beyond. The children are all treated with respect and their individual needs are recognised by the staff. They are offered all sorts of opportunities that other nurseries are unable to offer. The way the nursery operates also prepares the children for Infant School - which can be a big shock. My Grandson loves it there and loves the staff. A big bonus is also the holiday camps which are run in each holiday, where they do many fun things with activities geared to the season, but it's in an environment the children are used to. I will be sad when he leaves in July 2016 and look forward to taking my next grandchild there.
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Review from Tracy M (Mother of Child) published on 17 December 2015 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Two of my children have attended this nursery and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. The care and attention they receive is second to none. They have a wonderful philosophy to childcare and each child is made to feel special and appreciated, whilst keeping an open communication with parents.
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Review from Laura K (Mother of Child) published on 14 July 2015 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Love this place. My daughter has always been happy, excited and speaks of the other children so highly. Their activities and visits from various members of the community are inspiring for young children. Their teachers offer a wealth of knowledge and experience to parents/carers for both academic and
personal development alike. They are a family run nursery, Italians, well known for their love and compassion for children, especially when my daughter had medical toileting issues for about 7-8 months. Still, it was never an issue and made my life that bit easier - one less thing to worry about. They actively support independence in the children, enabling their transition to primary school that much easier. My daughter always came home and told me about the various tasks she could now do alone, especially now she could put her own coat on and do the zips! I cant fault them, they are professional and capable nursery providers. All the children's key developments are logged, in line with the nursery standards, most of it dated with evidence. I've never once looked back after dropping my daughter off or wondered how she was getting on during the day. When I collect her, she's playful, confident and enjoys her time there. Some of the language she uses astounds me sometimes, not all of that is learnt at home. Also - for those working parents, they offer full days and an entire summer holiday cover known as 'holiday club', each week is themed and packed full of super fun stuff. The nursery have excellent equipment/facilities, bouncy castles, face painting, scooter riding, water play - it's endless. The only problem is... you might not get a place, so enquire as early as possible.
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Current Review Score: 10.0 (10.000)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 10 (10.000) out of 10 for Mount Carmel Kindergarten - Kinder Lodge is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 14 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 14 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 5.000 for Mount Carmel Kindergarten - Kinder Lodge is calculated as follows: ( (164 Excellents x 5) ) ÷ 164 Ratings = 5
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Mount Carmel Kindergarten - Kinder Lodge is based on 14 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 50 number of registered child places is 10, which has been reached with 14 Positive reviews. Points = 1
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (20)

Meet the Team (9)

Gabriella

Gabriella Spooner

Job Title: Principal/SENCO/DSO Joined: 2008

Gabriella Spooner (nee Federici) has worked in Early Years since 2008 and brings her experience from a number of different roles within the sector. Now as a mother of 2 children, she has gained a new perspective and understanding of the pressures on modern Mums. In her ‘spare’ time she enjoys singing and dancing with the St Albans Musical Theatre Company.


Qualifications: Early Years Professional Status (2013), BA (Hons) Educational Studies and Early Years (2013).

Stefano

Stefano Federici

Job Title: Administration Manager Joined: 2019

Stefano is responsible for admissions, enquiries and nursery administration. He is the go to person for questions regarding fees, funding and sessions. Prior to joining the family business, Stefano taught English to children in Rome and later worked as a commercial manager at Marks and Spencers.


Qualifications: BA (Hons) Italian Studies (2008), Cambridge Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (2009), Cambridge Certificate of English Language Teaching to Young Learners (2010).

Catherine

Catherine Tarelli

Job Title: Nursery Teacher Joined: 2019

Qualifications: Ba (Hons) Primary Education with Initial Teacher Training (2003)

Natalie

Natalie Rayment

Job Title: Nursery Teacher Joined: 2008

Qualifications: BA (Hons) Educational Studies (2014)

Stacey

Stacey Cannell

Job Title: Nursery Teacher Joined: 2012

Qualifications: CACHE Level 3 Childcare

Karen

Karen Connell

Job Title: Nursery Teacher Joined: 2019

Qualifications: CACHE Level 3 in Childcare

Ishanka

Ishanka Fernando

Job Title: Nursery Assistant Joined: 2018

Qualifications: CACHE Level 3 in Childcare.

Hannah

Hannah Axworthy

Job Title: Nursery Teacher Joined: 2019

Qualifications: Level 3 in CACHE Childcare Learning and Development, BA (Hons) Education Studies (2017).

Libby

Libby Carolan

Job Title: Nursery Teacher Joined: 2021

Currently studying level 3 in Cache Childcare.

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