Hurst Court Day Nursery School
Outstanding★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Chelmsford for children from birth to 5, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 September 2025. Open since 2014, with 60 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 6BPWhat 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.
- 21 January 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 16 July 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 5 September 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thrive in this vibrant learning environment, which sparks their curiosity and engages their interest. They benefit from a highly stimulating and well-structured learning environment, with an inviting, age-appropriate curriculum that promotes independence, exploration and engagement. Leaders develop an ambitious, detailed, progressive curriculum that builds precisely on what children already know and can do and promotes the all-round development of children.
Secure and nurturing key-person relationships give children confidence to explore.
For example, babies explore movement and balance by crawling, standing and taking early steps. They test their balance, strength and coordination, showing determination as they try new physical challenges. Older children have opportunities to expand their experiences and express their creativity by engaging with the works of different artists and media.
- 5 September 2025Outstanding Safeguarding: Yes
- 17 January 2020Outstanding
- 21 July 2014Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Hurst Court 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.