Ellies nursery
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open a few years
A day nursery in Epping for babies from 3 months up to 5 year olds, open 07:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2025. Open since 2024, with 45 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
All funding applied.
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
CM16 4APWhat 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, 30 September 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy their time at nursery and all children receive a good quality of education. Staff are knowledgeable about the children. This enables them to plan appropriate next steps in learning that build on what children already know and can do. Interactions between staff and children are warm and supportive. This supports their emotional development and sense of security. For example, when moving around the setting children seek comfort from their key person before they begin to explore the new environment.
Staff are positive in their interactions with children. They speak to them in a calm manner, being polite and respectful and are good role models. Older children have developed friendships with each other. They enjoy their time away from the younger children while they sleep. Children enjoy being around the staff team and actively engage them in their play. For example, in the garden area children enjoying mixing and pouring potions ready for staff to try. These interactions are meaningful and allow children to develop their imaginations.
Across the setting behaviour is good. There are effective positive behaviour management strategies in place and children are encouraged to take turns.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- continue to develop the setting curriculum to ensure that all children receive appropriate challenge and support, so they are engaged in purposeful learning that meets their needs and interests n provide children with sufficient time to gather their thoughts, process new information and respond to questions being asked, to build on their communication skills.
- 30 September 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 11 June 2025Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 1 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Ellies nursery
- 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.