Clavering & Arkesden Preschool
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Saffron Walden for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. £7.50 an hour, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2023. Open since 2015, with 26 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Session | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | £7.50Lunch, 1 hrs £8.00From September 2026 £15.00Afternoon, 2 hrs £16.00From September 2026 £22.50Morning, 3 hrs £24.00From September 2026 | £7.50 £8.00From September 2026 |
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £2.00 a week Morning Snack
- £4.50 Wrap-around carecovers one or both extra 15-minute sessions
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
Up to 15 hours Government Funding the term after their third birthday; 2 year funding and 30 hours funding for working parents.
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
CB11 4PEWhat 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, 7 February 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children benefit from their time at this nurturing pre-school. Staff create a warm and homely atmosphere where children feel safe and secure. The environment, both indoors and outdoors offers engaging activities for children, who are inquisitive explore independently. They have the time and space they need to discover, try out and revisit their ideas. For example, children work together and take turns when completing floor puzzles. They listen to each other about where they think the puzzle pieces may fit. This demonstrates children's perseverance and determination.
Children are excited and motivated to learn. They enjoy getting ready for outdoor play and demonstrate their independence as they put on their coats and wellington boots. They make the most of being outside as they explore nature during forest school sessions. They search for sticks, stones and feathers to build bird's nests.
Staff weave mathematical concepts into their discussions as they plan the nests'
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- refine the organisation of routines to promote children's engagement and learning opportunities during all times of the day n expand on the links with feeder schools to ensure all children are well prepared to transition to school.
- 7 February 2023Good
- 21 June 2017Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Clavering & Arkesden Preschool
- Youngest age taken
- 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
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.
- Is £7.50 an hour still the rate? 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.
- 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.