The Barn Nursery
OutstandingBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Thaxted for children from birth to 8+, open 07:45 to 18:15, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in November 2024. Open since 2016, with 68 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
CM6 2NJWhat 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, 12 November 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children have the very best start at this exceptional nursery. The skilled team of staff offers children the most wonderful experiences in this idyllic home-from-home setting, helping them to flourish and thrive. Children and families arrive with great enthusiasm and are warmly welcomed by attentive staff and the two nursery cats.
Children separate confidently from their parents and quickly absorb themselves in the extensive and delightful learning experiences on offer.
Children demonstrate wonderfully secure attachments to their key person. From the very start of their journey, children are supported by staff who offer the love and nurture needed to develop strong emotional bonds. New children receive undivided attention from their key person as they settle into their environments.
- 12 November 2024Outstanding
- 20 February 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Barn Nursery
- 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.