Shining Stars
GoodBirth to 8+Open a few years
A day nursery in Chelmsford for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2024. Open since 2023, with 22 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
CM3 2HPWhat 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, 26 September 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The management and team of staff provide children with a very calm and homely environment in which to play. Children are greeted with genuine warmth and kindness by staff, who are happy to see them. Children demonstrate that they are enthusiastic and eager to learn and settle quickly. They leave their parents with ease and become engrossed in activities offered. Staff plan a broad curriculum around the children's interests and developing needs, also introducing seasonal topics to extend their learning about the world around them. Planned activities in the local community, such as regular visits to the library, enhance children's learning further. Children are aware of the expectations and rules of the nursery.
They positively respond to the requests of staff, for example, when it is time to put things away in preparation for dinner. They listen with intent to instructions, and staff speak respectfully to children. Staff are calm and positive role models, and children's behaviour is good.
An effective key-person system ensures that the staff know children well. They invest time in getting to know the children and their families well before they attend. Babies are very happy and settled. Their individual routines are followed to ensure they feel safe and secure. They are offered comforters from home and are soothed as they receive cuddles and reassurance when they become tired. All children have established trusting bonds with their key person. Children's speech and language development is good, and they demonstrate that they are confident speakers and engage visitors to the nursery in their games and conversations.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- plan more opportunities in the curriculum to challenge children's thinking to consistently build on what they already know and can do n develop and continue to strengthen the learning environment for babies so that they remain fully engaged during transition times.
- 26 September 2024Good
- 15 December 2023Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 1 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Shining Stars
- 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.