Buttercup Montessori Kindergarten Ltd
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Chelmsford for children from birth to 5, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 May 2023. Open since 2016, with 119 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 5PXWhat 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 May 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children, parents and carers receive a warm welcome when they arrive at the nursery. This helps children to settle into their day quickly. Each child has an allocated key person who knows them well and plans for their care and learning needs. The key persons consider each child's interests, making sure there are activities that will capture their imagination and encourage them to join in.
Children thoroughly enjoy listening to stories and looking at books. Nursery staff make sure there are plenty of books available for all children. Children spend time outdoors each day. They benefit from time in the fresh air, where they develop their coordination as they run and climb. Children particularly enjoy the small hills that they run up and down, racing with nursery staff and their friends.
The nursery staff incorporate Montessori teaching into the experiences for children.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- use monitoring of staff practice to sharpen the quality of teaching and help staff identify what they want children to learn n support staff to consistently match the next steps to children's specific learning needs.
- 11 May 2023Good
- 21 November 2018Good
- 13 February 2018Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 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.