Dolly and Bear Day Nursery
Good★ 2.7 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Southend-On-Sea for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2021, though that is 5 years ago now. Open since 2019, with 62 places.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
SS2 6LRWhat 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.
- 1 March 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 18 May 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle quickly on arrival and are happy to say goodbye to their parents at the front door. They go into their rooms with staff to find their friends and see what activities are available. Babies enjoy lots of opportunities to explore their surroundings, including using their hands to experience different textures and lots of messy play. This helps them to develop important basic skills, such as hand-toeye coordination to support the next stage in their learning. Children behave well.
Pre-school children sit quietly during group activities, waiting patiently for their turn. They listen to their friend's choice of song and join in with the words and actions enthusiastically.
Toddlers enjoy playing with a range of natural objects, including coloured, dried rice and fresh vegetables. Staff provide further resources, such as wooden animals along with a story book, to encourage children to use their developing imaginative skills. Children pretend to feed the animals with the food, mimicking staff's actions as they play. Children thrive in the nursery, making good progress in their learning.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- consider ways to help children who are less confident to take part in activities and discussions n make greater use of children's emerging interests to develop their learning further.
- 18 May 2021Good
- 27 January 2020Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 1 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Dolly and Bear Day Nursery
- 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.