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Best nursery schools in Richmond

Your guide to the best nurseries in Richmond. We outline the area’s most popular early-years and childcare options – from outdoor and bilingual settings to full-day provision – and what parents should know when applying.
A child in art smock and princess dress at King’s House nursery
King’s House School nursery

Whatever the location, staff in Richmond’s best nurseries are truly ambitious for children, from vocabulary enrichment (you’re never too young to learn words like ‘gravity’ and ‘crater’) to the freedom to explore their surroundings (there’s endless fun to be had with the life and times of the snail). There’s also plenty of green space around and so you would rightly expect outdoor play to feature large in the local nursery offering.

Outdoor Owls transports children from Richmond in the morning for all-day play in nearby woodland (on-site yurt for inclement weather), dropping them back in time for afternoon collection. Others, like Katey’s Nursery and pre-school, have their own lovely riverside setting to enjoy.

Languages including Spanish and Mandarin feature prominently too, as befits a multicultural area, with KISH, close to the German School in Ham, one of several bilingual nurseries (German and English). 

This being liberal Richmond (in every sense), parent-pleasing features range from yoga to ambitious chef-prepared menus. Sweet potato and butternut squash soup and mixed olives are on the menu at family-run Meadowview Nursery, a popular choice for teaching professionals in search of quality childcare for their own offspring.

Many nurseries are affiliated to state and independent primary and prep schools. These include Meadlands Primary School (nursery from age 2) and St Elizabeth’s Nursery, located at St Elizabeth’s Catholic Primary School in central Richmond from age 3 (both state). As with nurseries at The Old Vicarage School, King’s House and Kew Green Prep School (all independent), parents should check transition arrangements into reception as it’s rarely automatic.

For full wraparound and out-of-term-time care, you’ll need one of the local day nurseries. National chains have a presence – the likes of Fennies and Bright Horizons (with three nurseries in central Richmond) offer employer-friendly opening hours and a starting age of three months, all structured with working parents in mind. Local group Riverside has two branches offering highly-rate care.

While all nurseries will have a special needs coordinator, some go further. Staff at Rainbow Nursery School are trained in Makaton, while Windham, a top-rated nursery, incorporates specialist SEN provision for children with autism and social communication needs.

And while the sheer number of nurseries on the doorstep can gladden parents’ hearts, it pays to keep in touch to ensure that what appears to be an abundance of places doesn’t suddenly become a drought when you want to register. You’ll want to give at least nine months’ notice in order to secure your place.