Full-day nursery in Barking Wharf Square, Barking and Dagenham
Rainbow Friends Childcare
5, Drydock Square, Barking, IG11 7SQ · Getting there
Is it good?
Read the Ofsted reportOfsted report card
- InclusionStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Behaviour and routinesExpected standard
- Children's welfare and well-beingExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
- SafeguardingStandards met
What does this mean?
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each nursery a report card. Each area is graded on a five-step scale: urgent improvement, needs attention, expected standard, strong standard, exceptional. Safeguarding is either met or not met. There is no single headline grade, and we never make one up.
Official records
Fees
Fees: not published yet
Thanks. We count every request and show the nursery how many parents are asking.
Nurseries in Barking and Dagenham that publish fees charge £72–£91 a day for under-2s (3 nurseries). This is the area's range, not this nursery's.
Hours and ages
- Monday to Friday
- 08:00–18:00
- Ages
- 3 months to 4 years
Getting there
5, Drydock Square, Barking, IG11 7SQ · More nurseries in IG11
Stations
- Barking14 min walk · 0.6 miles
Buses
3 bus stops within 400 m, including Quay Road and Broadway Theatre.
Parks and playgrounds
- Drydock Square1 min walk
- Central Park2 min walk
- Abbey Green3 min walk
- Barking Road Recreation Ground8 min walk
- Gascoigne Square10 min walk
- Playground3 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 Barking and Dagenham there are about 4.2 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
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Write a reviewAbout Rainbow Friends Childcare
Rainbow Friends Childcare is a full-day nursery at 5, Drydock Square, Barking, IG11 7SQ, in Barking Wharf Square, Barking and Dagenham. It is registered for 34 children and takes children aged 3 months to 4 years. It opens 08:00–18:00, Mon–Fri. Its Ofsted report card (December 2025) grades inclusion Strong standard, curriculum and teaching Expected standard, achievement Expected standard, behaviour and routines Expected standard, children's welfare and well-being Expected standard and leadership and governance Needs attention; safeguarding standards met. It has a Google rating of 4.3 from 27 reviews (November 2026).
A day here
Our summary of the nursery's website and Ofsted reports. Each feature links to where it came from.
Learning and approach
- Play-based EYFS curriculumSource: nursery website
Food
- Organic foodSource: nursery website
- Healthy snacks providedSource: nursery website
Care and routines
- Key person systemSource: nursery website
- Flexible sessionsSource: nursery website
- Half-day sessionsSource: nursery website
- After-school clubSource: nursery website
- Breakfast clubSource: nursery website
Building and safety
- Purpose-built buildingSource: nursery website
Compare nurseries nearby
| Nursery | Ofsted | Full day from | Hours | Ages | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Friends ChildcareThis nursery | Report card 2025 | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | 3 mo–4 yrs | This nursery |
| Holloway Coaching Wrap Around CareSessional pre-school | Not yet inspected | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.2 miles |
| Little Learners Nursery: St Margaret'sFull-day nursery | Not yet inspected | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.2 miles |
| The MaplesFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | not shared yet | 0.3 miles |
| Playaway Nursery (blc) LimitedFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | 2–5 yrs | 0.3 miles |
| Chestnut@GascoigneFull-day nursery | Outstanding | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | from 9 mo | 0.4 miles |
| Royal Gate Kids Pre SchoolFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.4 miles |
A dash means the nursery hasn't published it yet. Distances are in a straight line.
- All nurseries in Barking Wharf Square6
- All nurseries in Barking and Dagenham79
- All nurseries in IG1129
- Nurseries near Barking station
Nearby areas
Schools nearby
- Langdon Academy All-throughages 3–16has a nursery classOfsted: Improved significantlyinspected October 2024 0.2 miles
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Good (Improving)inspected March 2024 0.2 miles
- St Margarets CofE Primary School Primaryages 3–11Ofsted: Improved significantlyinspected March 2025 0.3 miles
- Gascoigne Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Report cardinspected June 2026 0.3 miles
- Horizon Academy ages 5–16Ofsted: Goodinspected November 2022 0.4 miles
- Greatfields Primary School Primaryages 4–11 0.5 miles
- Nelson Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Goodinspected March 2022 0.5 miles
- Oliver Thomas Nursery School Nurseryages 2–4has a nursery classOfsted: Outstandinginspected July 2024 0.5 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.
What are Rainbow Friends Childcare's opening hours?
Rainbow Friends Childcare opens 08:00–18:00, Mon–Fri.
What ages does Rainbow Friends Childcare take?
Rainbow Friends Childcare takes children aged 3 months to 4 years.
What is Rainbow Friends Childcare's Ofsted rating?
Rainbow Friends Childcare was inspected on 2 December 2025 and given an Ofsted report card. Report cards grade each area separately rather than giving one headline grade: inclusion Strong standard, curriculum and teaching Expected standard, achievement Expected standard, behaviour and routines Expected standard, children's welfare and well-being Expected standard and leadership and governance Needs attention. Safeguarding standards met.
How many children can Rainbow Friends Childcare take?
Rainbow Friends Childcare is registered with Ofsted for up to 34 children at any one time.
What approach does Rainbow Friends Childcare follow?
Rainbow Friends Childcare's website describes its approach as: Play-based EYFS curriculum.
What is the nearest station to Rainbow Friends Childcare?
Barking is the nearest station we know of, 0.6 miles away in a straight line.
How do I contact Rainbow Friends Childcare?
You can call 07510 464666 and visit rainbowfriendschildcare.co.uk.
Tools for parents in Barking and Dagenham
- 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 Barking and DagenhamFees by age in Barking and Dagenham
About this information
- Registration and inspections: Ofsted · 30 June 2026
- Fees, hours and features: the nursery's website (rainbowfriendschildcare.co.uk) · 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.
- 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
- 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 2713015 · Plain-text version · Report a mistake
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