Spring - Carousel
Good★ 4.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Braintree for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 2024. Open since 2016, with 49 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
CM7 3QZWhat 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, 27 June 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are at the heart of this warm and welcoming nursery. The friendly staff greet children and parents with enthusiasm as they arrive. Children develop close relationships with the caring staff who know them well. They confidently explore the environment and engage with activities that support their interests. Babies delight as they enthusiastically join in with familiar songs, clapping with excitement and joining in with the actions. Toddlers look intently at tiny caterpillars in a jar as staff explain that these will become butterflies. Older children enjoy making dough, practising their counting skills as they spoon in the ingredients.
Children behave well. They learn to take turns and to share the resources. Children are sociable and demonstrate good communication skills. They develop good friendships and happily chat to each other throughout the day. Children are keen to engage with visitors, confidently asking questions and talking about their achievements, such as demonstrating how they can count to 10.
Outside, children have opportunities to peddle the trikes and climb up the slide, helping to strengthen their large muscles. Children build 'walls' with bricks in the
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to raise the quality of teaching even higher, and make the most effective use of all learning opportunities so that children can make the best progress possible.
- 27 June 2024Good
- 4 July 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Spring - Carousel
- 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.