Buttercup Montessori Kindergarten Ltd
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Chelmsford for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2023. Open since 2011, with 66 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
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
CM2 8NGWhat 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, 11 April 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are warmly greeted by familiar adults as they arrive at the setting. Babies benefit from a calm and relaxed atmosphere that has a positive impact on them.
Children build strong bonds with staff who interact well with them as they play and explore. For example, they help babies practise using their large muscles as they learn to crawl up the soft-play arch. Older children develop friendships with their peers and play cooperatively together. Children are confident. They are eager to introduce themselves and their friends to visitors and tell them their names and what they have been doing.
Children are learning to be independent. They learn the importance of good hygiene practices such as washing their hands at appropriate times. This helps to protect children's good health. Staff encourage children to put on their own coats and shoes, offering extra support where needed. For example, when children struggle to put on their shoes, staff are patient and give them ideas about how to make it easier. Staff offer praise and encouragement until children manage to complete the task. This helps them to learn to persevere when they face difficulties, developing their self-esteem and resilience.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- ensure the curriculum builds on children's individual emerging interests n develop staff's teaching further to help children to sustain their concentration and motivation in their learning.
- 11 April 2023Good
- 7 September 2017Good
- 7 April 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Buttercup Montessori Kindergarten Ltd
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- 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
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? 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.