Gershwin Park Day Nursery School
OutstandingBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Witham for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in February 2023. Open since 2015, with 74 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
CM8 1FQWhat 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, 28 February 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children delight in spending time at this exceptional nursery. They flourish and make rapid progress in their development. They arrive excited and eager to learn.
Children have established strong bonds with their key persons and leave their parents with ease. The whole nursery is centred around the children and is exceptionally calm and welcoming. The early years educators are passionate about their role and are caring and attentive. Children quickly become absorbed in their play. Superb supervision is in place to support children as they decide where they want to play. They can flow freely from indoors to outdoors and become engrossed in the wealth of learning opportunities provided. For example, children immerse themselves in the growing garden. They take great pride and tell visitors to the setting about the vegetables and plants they grow and explain how they must take care of them. They squeal with delight when they find bugs and worms in the earth. Skilful staff respond to their excitement and offer magnifiers to help their search. Children's thinking is challenged as the early years educators engage them in meaningful conversation about the environment.
A wealth of opportunities are available for the children to learn about their emotions through sharply focused well-planned activities. They learn to regulate their feelings and use small mats to sit comfortably if they feel they want their own space or some quiet time. They are taught the language they need to express themselves, and focused activities, such as yoga and mindfulness sessions, help children's emotional and social development. All children understand the high expectations of the nursery and their behaviour is excellent.
- 28 February 2023Outstanding
- 4 July 2017Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Gershwin Park Day Nursery 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.