Little Nipperz Chelmsford
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Chelmsford for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 June 2021, though that is 5 years ago now. Open since 2017, with 51 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
CM1 2PAWhat 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, 18 June 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy, content and self-assured. They relish a wide range of exciting learning opportunities, such as outdoor play in the rain. Children frequently initiate their own learning. They show great focus as they explore water and mud, using descriptive language they describe the water as 'dirty' and 'slimy'. Children are very aware of the impact of their behaviour. They wait patiently for their turn to run into a puddle, to avoid splashing others. Children consistently show that they have a superb understanding of the rules in place when they come in and take off their wet boots, coats and trousers. Children make friends easily and show kindness to each other, staff and visitors. When adults sit at their table, young children quickly offer them a piece of their dough and demonstrate how to use a rolling pin.
Children have fun learning about shapes and can identify these in the environment.
They are excited and confident to contribute during group time and recall that there are shapes called circle, triangle and hexagon. Children show high levels of respect as they talk to others, asking their opinion, sharing ideas and making plans together, for example when acting out going on a bear hunt. Children proudly talk about getting a sticker from staff because 'I did things all for myself'.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop further the good communication systems in place with parents, to constantly share accurate information about how they can support their child's learning at home n strengthen the use of information provided by parents, in order to plan more effectively for what children need to learn from the start.
- 18 June 2021Good
- 19 November 2019Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 1 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Nipperz Chelmsford
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.