Kiddi Caru Nursery
Good★ 3.9 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Colchester for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2024. Open since 2002, with 122 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
CO2 8JBWhat 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.
- 29 November 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 13 September 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 29 July 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle well and get involved in activities planned around their current interests. The atmosphere is calm and welcoming. Children chat with each other as they play with the trains or engage in play dough activities together. Children confidently approach new people, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure in the setting. Staff are positive in their interactions with children. They are polite and respectful to them and are good role models. When children are upset or tired, staff provide hugs and reassurance. This helps the children form strong and trusting relationships with staff.
Key persons have effective methods of developing relationships with, and seeking a wide range of information from, parents so they know the children well. Staff are effective in engaging with other professionals when needed, making referrals to external services, and signposting parents to support from other professionals. This helps to ensure that all children receive the support that they need so they can make progress in relation to their individual starting points.
Staff have implemented positive behaviour strategies for all children. Further personalised strategies are in place to support those children who may require them. Therefore, children generally behave well. They have formed friendships and show concern for each other. For example, when one of the younger children coughs, his friend gives him a pat on the back and checks he is okay.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the quality of staff interactions with children to help them challenge and extend children's learning more effectively as they play and during routine times n support staff to consistently implement the setting's hygiene procedures in relation to mealtimes n strengthen the arrangements to share information with parents about their child's next steps in learning.
- 29 July 2024Good
- 8 February 2022Good
- 27 March 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Kiddi Caru 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.