Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables

191 Princes Road, Buckhurst Hill IG9 5DJ
Review Us
9.9 17 Reviews
  • Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables, Buckhurst Hill
Queens Pre School @ The Old Stables is an Ofsted Outstanding (April 2025) nursery in the heart of the Buckhurst Hill community. It is located on Princes Road, just a five-minute walk from the Central Line Tube Station.

The nursery offers age-appropriate rooms and a large garden for children to explore. Each room is resourced with natural age-specific equipment to meet the children's developmental needs. The nursery follows the EYFS curriculum for the children to meet early learning goals before the transition to school.

Queens Preschool @ The Old Stables has excellent links with the local schools in the area. The teachers come in for stay and play sessions and take part in visits to schools for the children to ease their transition.

The preschool is also in the heart of the community and takes part in regular outings in the local area to local shops, restaurants, florist, doctors surgery, train station, pharmacy and dental surgery. A weekly forest school session is also undertaken by the forest trained team members.

There are daily extra-curricular activities for children to enjoy hosted by specialist teachers:

Monday - Yoga
Tuesday - Lingotots - French
Wednesday - Bongalong Music
Thursday - Phonics with Robot Reg
Friday - A Little Bit Dramatic- Drama

The Preschool also welcomes regular visitors such as animal experiences, people that help the community such as fire fighters and guide dogs as well as parent partners who share with the children.

The online Famly learning app allows parents to track children's nursery life and development from the app and communicate directly with team members as well as uploading observations and photos from home.

Parents are actively involved in the nursery through constant communication and regular parent events such as graduation, picnics, bug hunts and risky play events!
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Type of Service

  • Nursery School
  • Open term time
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Katie Walls (Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 9

Total Places for Children

  • 46

Age Range

  • from 2 years
  • to 5 years

Funding & Fees

  • £109.50 - £112.50 per day


    The nursery offers full day care with sessions from 7:30-6:30 or 8:00-6:00.

Opening Times

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

When Closed

  • Closed on bank holidays and over the Christmas period

Parking

  • Roads around the nursery are pay & display between 10am and 5:30pm or permit holders only

Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables Reviews (17)

9.9

Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.892) out of 10, based on 17 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables has 17 reviews.

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Total of 17, showing 1-17
Review from James R (Father of Child) published on 19 September 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We sent both our children to Queens Pre School the year before they started school, and we were absolutely delighted with our decision both times.
The staff are all kind, caring, helpful and experienced. The array of activities put on for the children are beyond impressive, and the updates (both on
the app, and face to face at pick up) are very thorough.
Queens has been the perfect environment in getting our children ready for school, and we can't recommend it highly enough
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Review from Sarangan K (Father of Child) published on 7 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Queen's Nursery / Preschool looked after both our girls over a period of 4 years and we are extremely grateful for the care that all the teachers provided.


The teachers took great care of the girls and the girls always had very fond comments and memories of their time in preschool.


Girls came

out confident and ready for school.
Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you for the lovely comments. We are so happy your children were confident and ready for school!
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Review from E S (Mother of Child) published on 7 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been going to queens group since turning 1 and she is now 4. My son had joined about a year back, being just under 1. They love going there, and are always excited with the amount of activities that they have going and the love and care they receive is nothing short than exceptional
! Both my husband and I can drop our babies off knowing they are being taken care of and supported extensively. The app is also updated regularly to show what they are doing, how they have been eating etc which gives us a peace of mind. My daughter is also supported with her reading and writing skills and has been loving doing her practices with her teacher. I definitely cannot recommend Queens Nursery enough.
Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you so much for your lovely comments and recommendation.
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Review from D M (Mother of Child) published on 25 June 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been going to queens pre school since he was 1 years old, and is now 4 and a half. I've always been thoroughly satisfied with the standard of care given at the nursery, as well as the wide variety of activities that they set up daily for the children. My son eats so well at the nursery too
with the menu provided, which they ensure that they consult parents on what they would like to see the children eating. He has definitely benefited positively from being amongst a group of his peers and it has prepared him so well to start school this year. Couldn't recommend the nursery more.
Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you for your lovely comments. We are so happy you and your child have enjoyed your time in the setting!
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Review from O B (Father of Child) published on 25 June 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
As parents of twin daughters, finding the right nursery was one of the most important decisions we've made - and we couldn't be happier with our choice. From the very beginning, this nursery has provided nothing but excellent care in a warm, loving, and nurturing environment.


The staff are truly

outstanding. Each and every team member is caring, attentive, and genuinely invested in the children's well-being and development. We feel completely confident leaving our daughters in their care every day. They are reliable, responsible, and consistently go above and beyond to make sure each child feels safe, happy, and valued.


What has meant the most to us is how supportive the nursery has been through each stage of our girls' growth - from helping with the transition into group care, to encouraging independence, to supporting their emotional and social development. We're not just dropping them off each day - we're entrusting them to a team that genuinely partners with us as parents.

Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you for the amazing comments. We are so happy your children are thriving in the setting!
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Review from Vannan P (Father of Child) published on 25 June 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Great nursery with great staff. Nice atmosphere and great communication.
The app used gives us great ease in knowing what has been going on during my children's day. Activities keep the children engaged.
Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you for your lovely comment. We are so happy your child enjoys the nursery.
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Review from L H (Mother of Child) published on 25 June 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our two sons have been going to Queens Nursery since they were 9 months old. We are very happy with the care they receive. All the staff are very nurturing and loving towards them. The activities allowed them to develop in all aspects and to learn so many things. I love that they often take the children
out for some excursions to discover and be part of the community. It's an excellent nursery.
Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you for your lovely comments! we are so glad both your sons enjoy the nursery.
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Review from S M (Mother of Child) published on 20 June 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have been sending my children to Queens Nursery for a total of 8 years now, and I can't recommend it highly enough. My youngest will be starting school in September and I will be extremely sad to no longer have Queens in my daily life. The staff are truly fantastic: so warm, friendly, fun and down
to earth, and they put so much care and attention into helping to raise your children. The activities, learning, food, local excursions, and specialist teacher sessions they run for the children are top class. The engagement with the local community (forest, library, care home, tube station, shopping centre, cafes) is also very special. They go above and beyond to involve parents and family members and I have felt included in my children's journeys throughout (and have made some close friends of my own too!). Both my children have had wonderfully enriching experiences at Queens and remember their teachers and the friendships they made there with incredible warmth. Thank you Queens Nursery.
Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you for your amazing comments. It's been a pleasure to look after your children during their time at Queens and we are delighted that we have been a part of their learning and development.
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Review from Steven C (Father of Child) published on 20 June 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Queens Preschool is a fantastic nursery and well deserving of its recent Ofsted rating of excellent/outstanding. The variety of activities and engagement for my son are amazing and I really feel he is in the right place to excel in these early years. The nursery is involved in helping him get ready
for school. The staff are brilliant, and I feel really safe leaving my son with them. Having experienced really bad nursing, it's amazing when you find somewhere as good as Queens.
Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you so much for your comments and we are thrilled that your son is thriving in our setting!
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Review from F C (Mother of Child) published on 17 June 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Queens Preschool is fantastic. We have no doubt our son is in a safe, nurturing environment surrounded by staff who genuinely care. There's always something new and exciting going on for the kids - pond dipping and bug hunts in the forest, shopping trips to Waitrose, afternoons at the playground, trips
to the local care home. We love how the nursery is such an important part of the community and the children are exposed to 'real life'. The school readiness programme is also excellent, as are the weekly classes, and general communication. It's just a great place!
Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you for the lovely comments. We are so happy you are enjoy all the experiences planned!
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Review from Shobhna B (Mother of Child) published on 16 June 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are very happy with our daughter's experience at Queens Preschool. It is very clear how well the team of staff work together. They care for the children with such compassion. They really get to know each child's personality. Our daughter never wants to leave at the end of the day! The team take onboard
parents' suggestion so quickly and the variety of activities is brilliant, helping children nurture many skills. We know our daughter is in safe hands when she walks through the doors in the morning. It's clear to see what a welcoming, warm environment has been fostered in the pre school.
Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you for your comments about the preschool. We are thrilled that both you and you child feel supported at the setting.
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Review from Charlotte B (Mother of Child) published on 30 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I highly recommend Queens Pre School nursery. It really is in its own league when compared to other local nurseries. They have recently received an outstanding OFSTED report and this is no surprise. My daughter loves attending, each staff member has a lovely rapport with the children. They provide exceptional
education activities both from in house staff and external providers. It really blows my mind how much she has learnt in such a short space of time, she is very prepared for school. They have a focus on wellbeing and kindness which I absolutely love, including understanding and expressing emotions. The food is great and the meal plan is approved by a nutritionist.
Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you for your lovely comments, we are thrilled that your daughter has thrived at our setting.
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Review from Sneha P (Mother of Child) published on 27 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has had such a wonderful experience at the pre school. He has transitioned really well, connected with staff and absolutely loves coming in everyday. Activities vary day to day and he is constantly learning and exploring new things and ideas. The preschool carers well for his dietary requirements
and is focussed on ensuring each unique child thrives. He and I couldn't be happier!
Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you. We are so glad you and your child are so happy at the preschool!
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Review from A L (Father of Child) published on 23 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have had a daughter here for 18 months and have had a truly fantastic experience. Moving house is always tough for a young child and Queens were fantastic at helping us manage that transition. Our daughter is in a great place in advance of school in September. The staff are truly exemplary.
Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you for your comments. Its a pleasure to be a part of your child's journey to school, we hope she thrives in her school experience.
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Review from S H (Mother of Child) published on 23 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Brilliant nursery. Both my children have attended and have a the greatest of care and really flourished. Diligent and kind staff who do their best to get to know each child. my daughter loves attending nursery and I feel happy knowing she will have a wonderful day there.
Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you for your comments. We are delighted you, your daughter and your family have felt so supported over your time at the setting.
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Review from S B (Mother of Child) published on 20 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has attended Queens since she was 17 months old. They manage the progression really well, meaning she settled into Pre-School amazingly.


The staff are wonderful - everything they do is for the children. They take them on trips along the high street, to the local forest, and to the playground.

They run evens for parents to attend so you can see your child in action. And they genuinely listen to you about what your child needs and how you can help them at home.


It is a really lovely setting. If you can get a space, take it up!!

Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you for your lovely comments. We are so happy that you and your child feel supported.
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Review from LAURA S (Mother of Child) published on 16 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Queens preschool is absolutely fantastic! My son has attended the group since he was in baby nursery and every day we feel reassured that this preschool is the best of the best.


They strike just the right balance of feeling like extended family, whilst also providing the essential structures & processes

to ensure a safe, nurturing learning environment for the children.


The staff take great pride in their work and really care about the children and their families. They are really skilled at coming up with fun, engaging experiences for the kids to help them discover the world they live in, prepare for school and learn valuable social skills, such as tolerance.


Communication is consistently excellent.


The activity programme is really varied and includes regular trips to the forest and engaging with the community, as well as weekly classes like music, yoga, French & drama, which my son loves.


I can't recommend the nursery and its staff highly enough :)

Reply from Katie Walls, Nursery Manager at Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables
Thank you. We are so glad your son is thriving in the setting.
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.892)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.892) out of 10 for Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 17 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 17 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 4.892 for Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables is calculated as follows: ( (182 Excellents x 5) + (20 Goods x 4) + (1 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 203 Ratings = 4.892
  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 Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables is based on 17 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 46 number of registered child places is 9.2, which has been reached with 17 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 (1)

Meet the Team (3)

Katie

Katie Walls

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2023

Katie is the Preschool Manager with 10 years of experience in early years education. She has a strong vision for the team and the setting, focusing on providing children with engaging and unique experiences to support their development and learning.

Bethany

Bethany Howard

Job Title: Deputy Manager Joined: 2018

Beth is the deputy manager of Queens Preschool @ The Old Stables and has been with the company for 8 years. In her own time Beth is a girl guide leader and she incorporates this passion into our setting through forest school and risky play.

Kayleigh

Kayleigh Mcallister

Job Title: Nursery Coordinator Joined: 2016

Kayleigh is the Nursery Coordinator.
She has been working with the Children-First company for over six years and she supports all three nurseries in providing an outstanding learning environment for children.

Frequently Asked Questions about Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables

What is the Age Range of Children that Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables accepts?

Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables accepts Children aged from 2 years to 5 years.

What Days & Hours is Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables Open?

Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables is open: Monday 07:30-18:30, Tuesday 07:30-18:30, Wednesday 07:30-18:30, Thursday 07:30-18:30, Friday 07:30-18:30.

How many Children does Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables have capacity for?

Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables has capacity for a total of 46 Children.

How far is Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables to the centre of Buckhurst Hill?

0.5 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Queens Pre-School @ The Old Stables has an Enhanced Service - more info.