Small Wonders Day Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Chelmsford for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 to 19:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2023. Open since 2012, with 55 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 5NHWhat 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, 15 February 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
There is a robust key-person approach that contributes to the strong attachments between staff and their key children throughout the nursery. This helps all children feel safe and secure. Children learn to love books, and there is a strong focus on fostering their communication skills. Babies name familiar objects in stories. They sign along to rhymes and gesture 'please' and 'thank you' at mealtimes. This boosts their ability to express their needs. Toddlers eagerly anticipate 'what's in the bag', and watch excitedly as a member of staff pulls out one of their favourite books.
They readily join in with repetitive phrases. Staff engage older children's curiosity when they demonstrate how to research. For example, they find a picture of an insect and read out the relevant information. Children enthusiastically search for the first letter of their name on a keyboard. Staff build on their literacy skills by gently encouraging them to think of other words that start with the same sound.
Children spend a lot of time outdoors and benefit from fresh air and exercise. Older children move freely between the indoors and outdoors to make a choice about where they wish to play. Children carefully balance, as they navigate a structure of crates and planks in the garden. Staff reassure them, saying, 'you can do it, I'm here if you need help'. Children confidently persevere and smile proudly at their achievements.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff's knowledge of how to enable young children to use resources in their own way to build on their own ideas and way of doing things n strengthen partnerships with other professionals who also care for the children to support even greater consistency of care and learning.
- 15 February 2023Good
- 25 July 2017Good
- 1 February 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Small Wonders Day 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.