Meadows Montessori
OutstandingBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Saffron Walden 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 Outstanding by Ofsted in February 2025. Open since 2010, with 35 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
CB11 4DUWhat 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, 21 February 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
All children thrive in the nursery. The extremely skilled staff are passionate about creating a nurturing, child-centred environment where all children are supported to flourish. Children are highly motivated and enthusiastic learners. They eagerly join in the exciting opportunities for learning and become deeply involved as they make new discoveries. The language-rich environment that is created by the staff supports all children to acquire and use language, and they are excellent communicators. Children are confident to express their own ideas, needs and interests, and these are listened to and responded to by the staff. For example, children confidently share that polar bears live in very cold countries and pandas eat bamboo. They enjoy talking about what they have learned previously.
Children are highly respectful and kind to each other. Staff teach them how to manage their emotions and work together to resolve conflicts that may arise. The children follow the staff's lead to work together, share resources and solve problems to complete tasks. Children demonstrate enjoyment in interacting with the staff. Younger children squeal in delight as they go on a 'bear hunt' and growl like bears while older children follow a map to see where they will be going next.
All children listen to each other and are highly respectful of each other's ideas.
- 21 February 2025Outstanding Safeguarding: Yes
- 30 April 2019Good
- 5 June 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Meadows Montessori
- 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.