Footprints Day Nursery
Good★ 4.3 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Chelmsford for children from birth to 8+, open 07:45 to 17:45, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2022. Open since 2000, with 65 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
CM2 0HGWhat 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, 1 December 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and settled. Younger children develop strong relationships with their key person. Older children demonstrate high levels of confidence and independence as they move around the exceptionally well-resourced playroom, exploring the wide range of activities accessible to them. Children display very keen interests in their play and learn to make decisions about what they want to do. For example, children define a randomly-selected object from the bucket. Staff encourage them to experiment with it and make sounds to describe it. Children use words and sounds to express their thoughts, and they use their imagination effectively to bring their ideas to life.
Babies and toddlers are offered a busy and exciting environment, with freedom to develop curiosity. They confidently crawl and walk around, exploring the variety of resources on offer. They watch staff and each other with interest, inquisitive to see what they are doing. For example, they enjoy copying staff and playing with large scarves, throwing them up and watching them fall slowly. They hop and squeal in excitement.
Children enjoy playing in the garden where they have access to physical resources, such as a bicycles and tricycles, and ample space to run around. This helps to strengthen children's balance, movement and coordination. For example, children play a racing game from one end of the garden to the other, avoiding obstacles.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- allow children more time to think and respond to questions, to help develop their speaking and critical-thinking skills and enhance their learning further.
- 1 December 2022Good
- 10 March 2017Good
- 5 August 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Footprints 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.