Toad Hall Nursery Hitchin

Glover House, 23-25 Bury Mead Road, Hitchin SG5 1RT
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8.9 135 Reviews
  • Toad Hall Nursery Hitchin, Hitchin
Toad Hall Nursery is a 107-place nursery in the heart of Hitchin, offering a child-led approach to encourage the development of the children in their care. Children are given the opportunity to explore, interact, engage and thrive within the care of the highly experienced staff team.

Partnership with parents is at the heart of everything they do, from planning social events, holding quarterly Parent Forums to discuss and share ideas, and providing all children with ‘Home Learning’ ideas and opportunities to share with their carers at home.

The nursery is made up of 7 rooms, each catering for a different age group which enables them to provide facilities and resources for the right age and stage of each child. Weekly activities are planned for the children around their interests, utilising their state-of-the-art facilities both inside and outside, in their large gardens which also boast a growing patch and mud kitchen.

There are three garden areas which again cater for different ages of children, which enable more children to access the outside provisions at one time and gives opportunity for children to assess their own risks, develop their physical abilities and engage in the nursery’s extra initiatives, such as their Cook and Grow Programme. The children plant and care for their own produce in the Nature Garden, which they then help to prepare before the qualified chef cooks in their on-site kitchen. All meals and snacks are prepared and cooked on site, and the nursery prides itself on sourcing only the best quality ingredients for the children to enjoy.

Toad Hall is passionate about providing the best possible opportunities and childcare for children aged 3 months to 5 years.
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Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Collette Jordan (Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 39

Total Places for Children

  • 107

Age Range

  • from 0 years 3 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Funding & Fees

  • £89.50 - Per day under 3 years,
    £83.50 - Per day over 3 years.

  • •   10% Family discount on the eldest child’s fees.
    •   5% discount for NHS, Armed Forces, Police and emergency services staff.
    •   50% discount on Staff fees.
    •   Up to 30 hours of funded nursery education per week during term time.
    •   A corporate discount maybe available if there is an agreement in place between Toad Hall Nursery and another company.
    Please email the nursery directly for our latest fee information.

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:00
    Tuesday 07:30-18:00
    Wednesday 07:30-18:00
    Thursday 07:30-18:00
    Friday 07:30-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Parking

  • The Nursery boasts a large car park at front of the building, making parking extremely easy for busy parents who need to drop off or collect their children from nursery.

Toad Hall Nursery Hitchin Reviews (135)

8.9

Toad Hall Nursery Hitchin has a Review Score of 8.9 (8.946) out of 10, based on 8 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Toad Hall Nursery Hitchin has 135 reviews.

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Review from Grace L (Mother of Child) published on 13 July 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son loves his time at Toad Hall Nursery Hitchin. He is so comfortable in the setting and enjoys the wide variety of toys and activities. It is really good that the three preschool rooms socialise with one another as this is great preparation for school. Our son has been at the nursery for a year
and we have no complaints. The staff are very good with our son and are kind and helpful.
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Review from Roger K (Father of Child) published on 13 July 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I am extremely happy with all aspects of the nursery. Staff are friendly, caring and engaging. My daughter loves going in and we see the positive result of her time there in her personal development. They also have a wonderful and varied menu that my daughter loves. There is plenty of interaction, stimulation
and activity on offer. The staff clearly love their job as it shows in all of the happy children I see at drop off and pick up.
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Review from Emmy C S (Mother of Child) published on 13 July 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both my boys attend Toadhall Nursery twice a week. They absolutely love being there, in fact they skip on their way into the building. The staff are caring, friendly, kind and supportive. The items that are covered during their day at nursery are fab, my eldest son already knows more French than me
and his handwriting is coming along beautifully, and his knowledge of maths is brilliant. My youngest has always had an issue with textures / wet things, and since being in nursery he is encouraged to have some time playing with the things he doesn't usually like and now is much better with them. His speech is coming along beautifully and he's become very confident. The variety of meals also inspires me to change up my cooking at home! The layout of each room and the variety of activities and toys available is fantastic. There is a great atmosphere at the nursery.


I highly recommend Toadhall and have done to a friend who has her son attend.


Thank you to all the staff, keep shining!

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Review from Jude D (Mother of Child) published on 13 July 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
All the staff know all the children by name. They are very kind and accommodating for specific needs. Outdoor space is great and children make good use of it, daily. Great provision of outside providers for specialist activities such as sports and French lessons. Our child is very happy and loves attending,
especially with the almost daily craft and art activities that get brought home.
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Review from Tammy C (Father of Child) published on 13 July 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The room leader in Badgers is amazing. The time she puts into the day and how compassionate and kind she is has really brought my son out of his shell and he has really gained in confidence.
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Review from H B (Mother of Child) published on 11 July 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been attending the nursery for almost two years. She is always excited about going into nursery. The staff are friendly and take an interest in the children and their likes/ dislikes and their life outside of nursery. The nursery offers a wide range of activities and learning opportunities.
They get an opportunity to play outdoors every day, weather permitting.


My daughter has a food allergy, and the staff have managed this with ease. She is given a wide range of foods, and there is always an alternative if needed to accommodate her allergy.
I would highly recommend Toad Hall to anyone looking for a nursery for their child.

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Review from Rosemary A (Mother of Child) published on 10 July 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have 4 children and all have been with childminders so it was a huge decision to change my son into a nursery. After my first visit to Toad Hall, I was confident this was the best decision for him and me.


He has thrived while coming to Toad Hall and is confident, happy and settled. He has built

a bond with his key worker and looks forward to his time at nursery.
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Review from Daniel T (Father of Child) published on 29 June 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
In the year since my daughter moved to Toad Hall Nursery Hitchin from another nursery, she has accelerated in her writing, her social skills and play. We believe the team invest themselves totally in the children and with a low staff turnover they provide the consistency to enable shy children to come
out of themselves.
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Review from Zeynep S (Mother of Child) published on 29 June 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Toad Hall Nursery Hitchin was the only nursery that had availability by the time I applied for my 3-year-old daughter so I didn't have much of a chance to compare. However, now I think it is one of the best nurseries in Hertfordshire because they are very organised as much as flexible, good at teaching
a routine as much as fun. Both the staff and the management are always professional and also sincerely give their love of family. Toad Hall Nursery Hitchin has literally become our second home, they helped my daughter to adapt to British values smoothly since we moved from overseas. I can't appreciate them more.
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Review from Jo J (Mother of Child) published on 28 February 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter absolutely loves going to this nursery, she adores her key worker. The staff are all great and make her day so much fun and there are lots of well thought out activities. We're really very impressed with this nursery and it is very easy to get to, has lots of parking.
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Review from Caro M (Mother of Child) published on 27 June 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter started Toad Hall about 3 months ago when she was 19 months and I went back to work. Every time I drop her off she goes off with barely a backwards glance and every weekend she wants to go to nursery! She is clearly very happy here and that is entirely thanks to the amazing staff and the
brilliant job they do with their small charges. I get to go to work without having to ever worry about her safety and happiness and she gets to play with other children and enjoy a world full to the brim with activities and fun. I'm confident that she gets fed a healthy and nutritious diet and lots of outside play time which were two things that were very important to me. I would not hesitate to recommend Toad Hall to anyone looking for a nursery environment for their child.
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Review from Rupesh G (Father of Child) published on 19 February 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son is enjoying the nursery right from the day one. He has developed a great bond with his room carers. We have observed a significant development in him over a period of small duration. I highly recommend this nursery.
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Review from Kate N (Mother of Child) published on 18 February 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter started going to Toad Hall nursery from 11 months old for one day a week and settled in very quickly which I think was largely down to the staff and the environment. The staff are always doing new activities with the children, even from a young age and there seems to be the right level
of stimulation for her age and ability. The staff are very friendly, caring and I have no concerns leaving my daughter in their care. I would highly recommend Toad Hall to anyone.
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Review from Phil (Father of Child) published on 20 January 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter has been going for a year now and settled in immediately. She struggled with a childminder before going to Toadhall and we were very nervous about how she would get on. But we shouldn't have been! We have been thrilled with the way she has grown and developed over the past year and she
loves her time there. She has made some great friends, which she has moved up to new rooms with and she has consistently eaten well and napped well there. Since new management has started we have seen some real improvements in terms of staff management, nursery environment and security and couldn't feel happier in the way the nursery is run. The staff are always friendly and supportive and we always feel like they have time to talk about our daughters development and to give feedback at the end of each day.
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Review from Lucy S (Mother of Child) published on 14 December 2015 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I can't speak highly enough about Toad Hall. We recently moved up here from London and the staff have been so friendly, welcoming ad supportive through my sons transition. He is thriving at the nursery - everyday he has so much fun and learns something new. They have a great mix of play and learning
and he is really thriving. Its a busy, fun filled environment and is great or his social skills,. I feel so happy knowing that my son is being cared for by such wonderful people.
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Current Review Score: 8.9 (8.946)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 8.9 (8.946) out of 10 for Toad Hall Nursery Hitchin is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.8 out of 5 from 8 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.2 out of 5 from 8 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 4.772 for Toad Hall Nursery Hitchin is calculated as follows: ( (74 Excellents x 5) + (15 Goods x 4) + (3 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 92 Ratings = 4.772
  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 4.174 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Toad Hall Nursery Hitchin is based on 8 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 = 3.8
    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 107 number of registered child places is 21.4. 8 Positive Reviews ÷ 21.4 = 0.374
  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 (10)

Meet the Team (1)

Collette

Collette Jordan

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2023

Hi, I’m Collette, the Nursery Manager at Toad Hall Hitchin.


I am fortunate to have successfully worked within this industry for over 23 years and hold a Level 5 Diploma in Early Years Leadership and Management. Throughout my Early years career, I have worked in many different roles including running a successful nursery for nearly 5 years.


My vision is to provide high-quality care in a safe, inclusive, and stimulating environment, allowing the children to feel secure and confident. I believe this supports their growing curiosity to explore, and supports creative minds and resilience, whilst maximising success for all children.


I have always been highly focused on the well-being and development of children and believe that family partnership is the key.


My priority is to continue to lead this fantastic team and understand that a happy, successful child depends on us all working together.


Please do get in touch and arrange a visit to our lovely nursery if you have any questions.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Toad Hall Nursery Hitchin to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Toad Hall Nursery Hitchin has an Enhanced Service - more info.