Full-day nursery in Norwood New Town, Croydon
Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery
17 Carberry Road, London, SE19 3RU · Getting there
Is it good?
Read the Ofsted reportOfsted inspection, before November 2025
Good
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
What does this mean?
This grade is from before November 2025, when Ofsted replaced single grades with report cards. The nursery's next inspection will give a report card, with a separate grade for each area instead of one overall grade.
What Ofsted says it does well
“Daily routines are positive and promote independence.”
“Leaders are passionate about their roles.”
“Staff plan learning opportunities that capture children's imagination.”
What Ofsted says it should do better
“provide focused activities that give fair time to all children in large-group activities, to ensure that they make progress in their learning.”
Exact words from the Ofsted report of 2 August 2022. Read the full report on Ofsted.
Official records
- Ofsted registrationRegistered since February 2020Reference 2582051Ofsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Inspections on record1 inspectionlatest 2 August 2022Ofsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Registered places36 placesthe most children it may care for at onceOfsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Food hygiene rating5 (Very good)inspected 30 September 2025Food Standards Agency · checked 13 November 2026
Fees
- Registration fee
- £50
- Deposit
- £200
Funded hours: 2-year-olds
Fees: not published yet
Thanks. We count every request and show the nursery how many parents are asking.
Nurseries in Croydon that publish fees charge £75–£125 a day for under-2s (8 nurseries). This is the area's range, not this nursery's.
Hours and ages
- Monday to Friday
- 07:30–18:30
- Ages
- 3 months to 5 years
- Weeks open
- 51 a year
Getting there
17 Carberry Road, London, SE19 3RU · More nurseries in SE19
Stations
- Crystal PalaceStep-free access9 min walk · 0.4 miles
- Gipsy Hill12 min walk · 0.5 miles
- AnerleyNo step-free access19 min walk · 0.8 miles
Buses
12 bus stops within 400 m, including Westow Street, Westow Hill and Westow Park.
Parks and playgrounds
- Westow Park4 min walk
- Crystal Palace Park5 min walk
- Fox Hill Playing Field6 min walk
- Becondale Road Open Space7 min walk
- Upper Norwood Recreation Ground9 min walk
- Playground5 min walk
© OpenStreetMap contributors, checked 13 November 2026 · Powered by TfL Open Data, checked 13 November 2026. Walking times are rough, from straight-line distance.
Places and next steps
Spaces: not published yet. Nurseries often fill months ahead, so ask early.
In Croydon there are about 3.2 children under 5 for every registered nursery place. Places are how many children nurseries may care for, not free spaces, so this is a guide to demand. Source: ONS Census 2021.
What parents say
Reviews on Toddly
Be the first parent to review Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery
Reviews come from parents who sign in, and a person reads each one before it goes live. How reviews work
Write a reviewAbout Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery
Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery is a full-day nursery at 17 Carberry Road, London, SE19 3RU, in Norwood New Town, Croydon. It is registered for 36 children and takes children aged 3 months to 5 years. It opens 07:30–18:30, Mon–Fri, 51 weeks a year. Ofsted rated it Good at its inspection in August 2022, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025. It offers funded places for 2-year-olds. It has a Google rating of 3.9 from 7 reviews (November 2026). It is run by Rainbow Nurseries Ltd.
Run by Rainbow Nurseries Ltd (company), which runs 2 nurseries.
A day here
Our summary of the nursery's website and Ofsted reports. Each feature links to where it came from.
Learning
The nursery's 2022 Ofsted inspection rated its overall effectiveness Good and its quality of education Good. Its website names language classes as an activity.
Food
Its website says the nursery has a vegetarian menu and an allergy-aware kitchen.
- Vegetarian menuSource: nursery website
- Allergy-aware kitchenSource: nursery website
Outdoors
Its website lists its own garden, a growing / allotment area, and local outings and trips.
- Own gardenSource: nursery website
- Growing / allotment areaSource: nursery website
- Local outings and tripsSource: nursery website
Settling in
Its website says each child gets a personal key worker who supports the child and parents through settling in. Staff give individual support to separate from parents, and the nursery operates a key person system.
- Key person systemSource: nursery website
- Separate baby roomSource: nursery website
- Open all yearSource: nursery website
- Early drop-offSource: nursery website
- Late pick-upSource: nursery website
- Half-day sessionsSource: nursery website
- Nappies and wipes providedSource: nursery website
Safety
The 2022 Ofsted inspection found safeguarding to be effective.
- Parent app with daily updatesSource: nursery website
Extras and activities
- Language classesSource: nursery website
Getting a place
The registration fee is £50 and the deposit fee is £200. The nursery accepts funded hours for 2-year-olds.
Compare nurseries nearby
| Nursery | Ofsted | Full day from | Hours | Ages | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Palace Rainbow NurseryThis nursery | Good | not shared yet | 07:30–18:30 | 3 mo–5 yrs | This nursery |
| Blossom Time Montessori NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 07:45–18:00 | 10 mo–5 yrs | under 0.1 miles |
| Bonding School Nurseries LimitedFull-day nursery | Not yet inspected | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.1 miles |
| Colby Road NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | 10 mo–3 yrs | 0.4 miles |
| First Step Day Nursery LimitedFull-day nursery | Good | £96 | 08:00–18:00 | 3 mo–5 yrs | 0.5 miles |
| Crystal Palace Day NurseryFull-day nursery | Not yet inspected | not shared yet | 07:30–18:30 | not shared yet | 0.5 miles |
| The Ark Montessori NurserySessional pre-school | Not yet inspected | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.5 miles |
A dash means the nursery hasn't published it yet. Distances are in a straight line.
- All nurseries in Norwood New Town3
- All nurseries in Croydon160
- All nurseries in SE1910
- Nurseries near Gipsy Hill station
Nearby areas
Schools nearby
- Paxton Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Goodinspected June 2024 0.2 miles
- Rockmount Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Quality of education: Outstanding; Behaviour and attitudes: Outstanding; Personal development: Outstanding; Leadership and management: Outstandinginspected June 2025 0.3 miles
- All Saints CofE Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Quality of education: Requires improvement; Behaviour and attitudes: Good; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Goodinspected December 2024 0.5 miles
- The New School ages 4–18 0.6 miles
- Fidelis College ages 4–19 0.6 miles
- Kingswood Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Good; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Goodinspected October 2024 0.7 miles
- Cypress Primary School Primaryages 2–11has a nursery classOfsted: Standards maintainedinspected December 2024 0.7 miles
- James Dixon Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Goodinspected June 2024 0.8 miles
Straight-line distances. Places depend on each school's admissions rules. From the Department for Education and Ofsted.
Questions parents ask
Got a question? Ask and get an answer straight away.
Does Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery take funded 2-year-olds?
Yes. Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery offers funded places for eligible 2-year-olds.
What are Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery's opening hours?
Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery opens 07:30–18:30, Mon–Fri.
Is Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery open all year?
Yes, Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery is open 51 weeks a year, closing only for short breaks.
What ages does Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery take?
Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery takes children aged 3 months to 5 years.
What is Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery Good at its inspection on 2 August 2022, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.
How many children can Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery take?
Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery is registered with Ofsted for up to 36 children at any one time.
Is there a registration fee or deposit at Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery?
Yes. Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery lists a registration fee of £50 and a deposit of £200.
Who runs Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery?
Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery is run by Rainbow Nurseries Ltd, which runs 2 nurseries.
Does Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery have outdoor space?
Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery lists: Own garden, Growing / allotment area and Local outings and trips.
What is the nearest station to Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery?
Gipsy Hill is the nearest station we know of, 0.4 miles away in a straight line.
How do I contact Crystal Palace Rainbow Nursery?
You can call 020 8653 2260 and visit www.balhamrainbow.com.
Tools for parents in Croydon
- Childcare cost calculatorMonthly cost with funded hours
- Funded hours checkerWhich schemes you qualify for
- Funded hours start dateWhen your child's hours begin
- Tax-Free Childcare calculatorThe 20% top-up on your bill
- Visit checklist for this nurseryPrintable questions, pre-filled
- Cost of nursery in CroydonFees by age in Croydon
About this information
- Registration and inspections: Ofsted · 30 June 2026
- Fees, hours and features: the nursery's website (www.balhamrainbow.com) · 11 November 2026
- Rating and review themes: Google · 11 November 2026
- Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools · 4 November 2026
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Quotes from Ofsted inspection reports, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Department for Education data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right; contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.
- © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Powered by TfL Open Data
- Food hygiene rating from the Food Standards Agency, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Source: Office for National Statistics, Census 2021, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Read reviews on Google
Last checked 11 November 2026 · Ofsted URN 2582051 · Plain-text version · Report a mistake
Is this your nursery? Claim it free to correct details, add photos and answer parents' questions.
Claim it free