MW and H Ltd t/a Bluebell Pre-school
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Colchester for children from birth to 8+, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2025. Open since 2013, 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
CO6 3BWWhat 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, 16 January 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff offer children a warm welcome into this nurturing and caring pre-school.
Children are happy and settle well. New children receive close and sensitive support from their key person to help them to feel safe and secure. Leaders offer home visits to new children. This enables them to start building relationships and gather information about children's home lives. They use this information well to precisely plan and implement what children need to learn next, enabling all children to make good progress.
Children benefit from outings in the community, such as walks to the 'wooden wonderland', where they learn about environmental changes and increase their awareness of the wider world. Staff support children to be independent individuals.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the organisation of adult-led group activities to fully support children's participation n allow children more time to think and develop their problem-solving skills.
- 16 January 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 8 July 2019Good
- 20 May 2014Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for MW and H Ltd t/a Bluebell Pre-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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.