Akhter Early Learning Centre Nursery and Preschool
GoodTakes funded hours★ 3.6 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Harlow for babies from 3 months up to school age, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2024. Open since 2015, with 124 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Childcare funding for children aged 9 months to 4 years; up to 30 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year; 30 hours per week funding can be spread over 51 weeks of the year.
Worth knowing. Meals and snacks consumed by the child, consumables such as nappies and sun cream, and activities not directly related to the EYFS are not covered by funding; parents must pay for meals privately or provide a packed lunch; nappies and wipes should be provided by the parent/carer; privately paid sessions of 5 or more continuous hours include all meals, nappies and wipes.
What childcare usually costs in Essex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Essex from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
CM18 7NSWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 3 October 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive and settle quickly with support from nurturing staff. Leaders and staff create a dynamic environment that ignites children's curiosity and sense of discovery. Staff prompt children to make informed decisions about what they would like to explore next. In the garden, older children have an amazing time exploring the stepping stones and going down the slides, building on their gross motor skills, balance and coordination. Babies concentrate as they explore the sandpit and scoop sand with spoons into a pot, developing their fine motor skills and sensory experiences. Supportive staff encourage children to take turns and share resources with their peers, which helps build on their emotional resilience.
Staff and leaders are very warm. They have high expectations of children and they follow the setting's routines and boundaries with confidence. Children are positive and independent learners. For example, at snack time, babies work hard to pick their own food using utensils. Older children help tidy up, while singing a song.
This helps children feel involved and valued during their time at the setting.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the quality of staff interactions with children to consistently challenge and extend children's learning while they play n encourage staff to reflect on the daily routines to ensure that children can complete activities to their satisfaction n help staff to follow the setting's hygiene procedures to consistently promote children's good health.
- 3 October 2024Good
- 13 November 2018Good
- 6 September 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Akhter Early Learning Centre Nursery and Preschool
- What it costs
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.