Tiddlywinks Day Nursery & Pre School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Chelmsford for children from birth to 8+, open 08:30 to 16:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2025. Open since 2004, with 42 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
CM1 6GXWhat 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, 28 January 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Careful consideration of children's needs is given by the managers and staff to create a most welcoming play environment within this pack-away nursery. Children thrive and show a keen and eager interest to try new experiences and for learning.
The exciting and ambitious curriculum is designed around children's interest and next steps in learning, along with seasonal themes. For example, children are learning about the winter season and of the different animal habitats. They explore ice in the garden and proudly show large blocks of ice they paint, explaining that the ice melts when they bring it indoors as it too warm. Staff take great care to ensure children settle well. They invest time in getting to know the family and tailor settling-in sessions to meet the children's needs.
Children have established close and trusting bonds with their key person and demonstrate they feel safe and secure within their environment. Spontaneous play and careful planning is understood by the team and supports children's interests.
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.
- 28 January 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 21 March 2019Good
- 12 July 2018Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Tiddlywinks Day Nursery & 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.