Elmstead Nursery Ltd
OutstandingTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Colchester for from 2 years 6 months up to 5 year olds, open 09:00 to 15:30, 5 days a week. £6.50 an hour for 2 year olds, and they take the funded hours. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in July 2022. Open since 2000, with 26 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Term time only, 38 weeks a year.
| Age | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 year olds2y to 3y | £6.50for 2 year olds | |
| 3/4 year olds3y to 4y | £6.00for 3/4 year olds |
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £1.00 Cooking Club
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
FEEE2W (30 hours per week for 38 weeks for eligible working parents of two-year-olds), FEEE2 (15 hours per week for 38 weeks for eligible two-year-olds), FEEE3&4 (15 hours per week for 38 weeks for all three- and four-year-olds), EFE (additional 15 hours for eligible working parents of three- and four-year-olds, up to 30 hours per week for 38 weeks).
Worth knowing. If a funded child attends more hours than their weekly entitlement, they are charged at an hourly rate of £6.50 for 2 year olds or £6.00 for 3/4 year olds as are non funded children. We charge 25p per morning and afternoon session for snack. There is also an additional charge of £1.00 for Cooking Club.
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
CO7 7YQWhat 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, 8 July 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children flourish and thrive in an exceptional learning environment. They play safely, accessing a wealth of experiences and opportunities. Children are well behaved and have excellent manners. Children have strong relationships with their key persons and with their peers. They are exceedingly independent with self-care and at mealtimes. Children have secure routines and opportunities to master skills through consistent daily practise.
Children are highly motivated to learn. For the Queen's Jubilee, the children made flags and crowns, enjoyed singing the national anthem and it became a nursery favourite as children say 'We want to sing the Queen's song again.' The colourful displays are welcoming and share children's creations. 'Our sunflowers make us feel bright and cheerful' captions the independent paintings of flowers by children.
Children have high levels of conversational skills and a growing vocabulary bank.
- 8 July 2022Outstanding
- 8 December 2015Outstanding
- 23 September 2011Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Elmstead Nursery Ltd
- 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
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 £6.50 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.
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.