Plume Avenue Nursery
Good★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Colchester for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025. Open since 2000, with 60 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
CO3 4PQWhat 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 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
There have been clear improvements since the last inspection. The provider has embraced support from the local authority and has worked hard to implement the required changes. Staff have been supported through ongoing training and staff meetings. As a result, the whole team is motivated and continues to reflect on the service it provides to ensure the best possible outcomes for children.
Children are happy and enjoy their time in the setting. Staff are polite and respectful to children and are good role models. They are attentive to the needs of the children, who approach them for support, comfort, or to share their news. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and have implemented positive behaviour strategies. As a result, children behave well.
The team has reflected on the learning they provide for the children and have implemented an ambitious curriculum for all children who attend. Staff know the children well and can devise appropriate next steps to support their development.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- continue to develop the quality of staff interactions with children to help them challenge and extend children's learning even further n strengthen the arrangements to share information with parents about their child's next steps in learning.
- 18 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 15 May 2024Needs improvement
- 11 January 2024Inadequate
- 8 June 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 4 graded inspections.
Still missing for Plume Avenue 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.