Sunflower Coppice
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Harlow for children from birth to 8+, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2022. Open since 2010, with 24 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
CM18 6SLWhat 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, 4 July 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Friendly staff greet children on arrival. Children are keen to get into pre-school and hang up their belongings. Staff are positive role models and children know what is expected of them. As a result, they behave well. Parents comment on the improvements in their children's behaviour since attending. Older children demonstrate high levels of independence. During large-group activities, they listen and follow instructions as they join in with singing and actions to familiar rhymes, such as 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' and 'Roly Poly'. Older children are well prepared for their next stage of learning.
Staff provide opportunities for children to explore and investigate a wide variety of activities across the seven areas of learning. They are based on children's interests and identified learning needs, enabling children to make progress from their starting points. Children are confident in social situations. As a result, they are starting to develop friendships. They are eager to join in with others as they wash dolls in the role play area and use spoons to pass marbles back and forth to each other. Children have access to fresh air in the outside area. There are opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. Staff teach children to take appropriate risks safely as they climb and move around on large equipment. The pre-school promotes oral health and children participate in teeth-brushing activities. Children talk to staff about the importance of brushing their teeth.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review routines and deployment of staff during transition times, with particular focus on younger children, to ensure expectations are appropriate for their age and stage of development n create a richer environment that supports children to make connections in their learning n ensure professional development and coaching of staff links with the curriculum intent, with particular focus on communication and language, making sure staff know what is expected of them.
- 4 July 2022Good
- 29 September 2016Good
- 1 December 2015Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Sunflower Coppice
- 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.