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Best nurseries in Ealing

With many parents juggling long working hours, good nursery provision is essential in W5 and W13. This section outlines the state and independent options for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers in central Ealing.
Children at the Durston House School Pre-school
Durston House School Pre-school, Ealing

Nurseries abound. Most are privately run and tucked into church halls, redundant chapels, sports clubs and scout huts. Many are within minutes’ walk of Ealing Broadway station – the main transport hub in the centre. There are also some state-run nurseries on the sites of existing primary schools.

Local authority nurseries have state schools’ admissions criteria eg looked-after children and siblings have preference. Government funding can cover up to 30 hours of nursery care per week. Families only eligible for half the hours can pay extra so their child can attend full-time. But remember, full-time in a state school nursery is only 38 weeks of the year. Good state-run nurseries in annexes to primary schools include those at Little Ealing Primary School, Grange Primary School, Christ the Saviour Church of England Primary School, North Ealing Primary School and Fielding Primary School. NB, a place in a state school nursery does not guarantee a transition to the primary.

The vast majority of nurseries in central Ealing are privately run. Several are avowedly Montessori in practice but many these days adopt Montessori principles and child-centred learning underpins most activities. Independent nurseries are expensive but most draw clientele from their immediate surrounds and thereby families connect and establish friendships that last through their children’s childhood and beyond.

Highly rated day nurseries in Ealing include standalone (Bumble Bees, YMCA Jumpers), local chains (Buttercups, Cybertots) and national chains (Busy Bees, Monkey Puzzle). There are an increasing number of bilingual nurseries, primarily English and French (La Chouette, L’École Primaire André Malraux and West Ealing Montessori) but also the only UK Japanese/English speaking nursery, Miyabi.

Several of the local independent schools also have their own nurseries and pre-schools eg Clifton Lodge School, St Benedict’s School, Durston House School and St Augustine’s Priory School.

It is not unusual to wait for a year or more for a place at a good nursery in Ealing. Be sure to visit and research nurseries long before you would like your child to start. As soon as you feel able to commit yourselves to taking up a place, start applying. There is always pressure – and a waiting list – for the most popular.