Sunflower Sherards
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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 March 2025. 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 7PSWhat 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, 10 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children confidently part from their parents and carers on arrival at the pre-school, where they are greeted by kind and caring staff. Children are greeted by their friends and quickly join them in their play. Some enjoy using their imagination as they dress in beautiful princess costumes and parade through the setting. Staff are close by to help and support children, always encouraging them to have a go before stepping in. This helps them to become strong and confident. Children are caring and thoughtful towards each other. They use good manners and speak kindly. When children show a fear of flying insects, others come to protect them.
Staff act as good role models, calmly speaking to children and encouraging them to share the resources and work together.
Children understand the daily routines and enthusiastically participate in group activities, such as an adult-led dance and movement session. They efficiently follow the staff's instructions to wave their 'pom-poms' high in the air, down low or round and round in a circle. Staff use such activities to encourage children to exercise their fingers in preparation for developing their early writing skills.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the use of available resources and teaching strategies to promote children's creativity and enable them to freely express themselves n build on staff's understanding of the importance of using children's home languages to help children understand and extend their communication skills n strengthen the implementation of mathematics to support children to use numbers and counting during their play.
- 10 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 5 November 2024Inadequate
- 22 November 2022Good
- 9 February 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 4 graded inspections.
Still missing for Sunflower Sherards
- 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.