Fledglings Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Waltham Abbey for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2023. Open since 2012, with 52 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
EN9 3PXWhat 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, 12 June 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy their time in this calm, welcoming setting. Whether attending the out-of-school club or the pre-school, children come in eagerly and are confident, secure and settled. Children mirror the positive attitudes of staff. They set themselves challenges and persevere at these. For example, after noticing a ladybird, children decide to draw this. They persist until they are happy with the body shape and spots, eagerly celebrating their success and congratulating one another.
Daily discussions and child-friendly displays support children to gain an understanding of their emotions. They show kindness to one another, for example, as they pass each other resources and take turns. Children learn about safety and are starting to take responsibility for this and for their work, in preparation for starting school. For example, children know why they need to be careful when using metal tacks and hammers, carefully putting these into trays when not in use.
Children gain a good knowledge of how to keep themselves healthy. For instance, they use dental equipment as part of role play and discuss going to the dentist.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to build further on children's learning so that they consistently promote children's knowledge and development to the optimum level, particularly for the most able children n aid staff in better managing children's needs during periods of transition, such as when preparing for mealtimes.
- 12 June 2023Good
- 14 July 2022Needs improvement
- 15 September 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Fledglings Pre-School
- 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.