St Lawrence Church Pre-School
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Waltham Abbey for children from birth to 5, open 08:45 to 14:45, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2023. Open since 2002, with 20 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
EN9 3ELWhat 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, 7 December 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff provide a safe and secure environment for children. staff have created strong bonds with children and provide the care and reassurance that children need to thrive. Managers and staff have designed an ambitious curriculum, which supports children's development well. Children enjoy playing with water, sand and dough.
They explore water and ice. They understand that ice is frozen water and that when ice melts, it becomes water again. Children try to use different tools to break the ice to find the hidden toy animals inside. They experiment with different ways to break the ice before deciding to try melting it in warm water.
Staff teach children to listen carefully to each other and consider the interests and feelings of others during conversations and play. Behaviour in the pre-school is very good. Children enjoy regular outdoor play, where they can develop their physical skills. For example, they use bikes and climbing apparatus. This helps to strengthen children's, balance, movement and coordination. Staff support children to develop good health and well-being. They offer healthy snacks and encourage parents to provide children with healthy packed lunches. Children learn to manage their selfcare needs on their own. For example, they use the toilet themselves and learn to dress for outdoor play. Children have good opportunities to be independent.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to challenge and extend children's learning, to help them to achieve as much as they can n embed the teaching of mathematical skills to make greater use of measurement and quantity within the children's play experiences.
- 7 December 2023Good
- 13 December 2017Good
- 6 November 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Lawrence Church Pre-School
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.