Orchard Barn Nursery
Good★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Colchester for children from birth to 5, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 June 2022. Open since 2019, with 68 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
CO7 7PQWhat 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.
- 18 February 2022 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 10 June 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children feel confident and happy in this caring and welcoming nursery. They develop a strong sense of security and form trusting relationships. This successfully supports their emotional well-being. Babies and toddlers enjoy the improved opportunities to make choices about what they would like to do. They are supported to follow their interests, such as exploring a piece of cellophane wrap and learning how to use a remote control to turn on a light.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) become fully involved in activities and make good progress. They move freely and safely around the indoor and outdoor spaces, which are carefully planned to be fully accessible.
Children readily contribute to conversations and use new vocabulary to express their ideas. For example, with support from staff, they learn to explain the purpose of a 'compact disc'. Older children are keen to make marks using paint, pencils and chalk. They show good physical control as they begin to form lines and circles on paper to represent letters.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- focus more precisely on extending older children's involvement and offering the highest levels of challenge during adult-led activities.
- 10 June 2022Good
- 13 December 2021Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 1 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Orchard Barn 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.