Spring - Seesaw
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Braintree for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. £43.25 a day. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2024. Open since 2016, with 61 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Full day | |
|---|---|---|
| All ages | £43.25St Johns £44.95Carrick Knowe £45.50St Johns |
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £20.00 Admin fee for any changes made to bookings
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
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 5ULWhat 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.
- 25 August 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 10 February 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 18 July 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The nursery provides children with a stimulating and interesting curriculum and children attending make good progress. Children are warmly welcomed by caring staff who know them well. The education programme is designed around the children's next steps in learning, and opportunities to learn skills to be independent learners in preparation for the transition to school. The forest school approach has a strong influence and children relish their time playing in the gardens. For example, they enjoy pond dipping, taking care of chickens they have nurtured from eggs and toasting marshmallows, closely supervised by staff. Stringent risk assessments are in place and children are taught through everyday routines how to keep safe.
Children enjoy a variety of water play activities. They run water through drainpipes, fill pots and watering cans to water plants and vegetables they grow. They proudly tell visitors to the nursery about their crop that are nearly ready to pick. Quality resources are accessible, and children are encouraged to self-select. Children demonstrate they are eager to learn and investigate the activities provided.
Children have formed close attachments to their key person and enjoy the cuddles and reassurance they receive. Staff are good role models and children are spoken to with genuine respect. Children make friendships and generally are kind to one another. They understand the expectations and behaviour is good.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to use effective questioning techniques to extend children's language, help them to think critically and solve problems independently n improve the organisation and preparation of mealtimes for younger children to ensure that all children are engaged at these times.
- 18 July 2024Good
- 18 October 2018Good
- 8 May 2018Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Spring - Seesaw
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- Is £43.25 a day still the rate? 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.