Whipper-snappers Daycare Nursery and Kids Club
Good★ 4.7 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Felsted, Dunmow for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in August 2021, though that is 5 years ago now. Open since 2000, with 140 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 3EFWhat 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, 6 August 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and confident in the nursery. They part from their parents and carers with ease and skip to their rooms to join their friends. Older children support younger ones, helping them to access resources and complete tasks. They show kindness and respect towards each other. Children understand the nursery boundaries and follow the routines well. For example, they understand the importance of good handwashing, before sitting down with their friends to enjoy a snack or meal together. Children thoroughly enjoy the nutritious, freshly cooked food and regularly ask for seconds.
Babies have secure relationships with their key person and other staff working in the room. They enjoy cuddles and respond with happy noises and single words to staff's interactions with them. Babies practise their developing walking skills as they toddle around the garden and enjoy sitting with their key person to listen to a story outside. Children make good progress from their starting points. They are supported in their learning by key persons who know them well and plan effectively for their next stages of development.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen opportunities for younger children to develop their independence n develop the planning of outdoor activities to fully support those children who learn better outside.
- 6 August 2021Good
- 17 October 2019Inadequate
- 2 February 2016Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Whipper-snappers Daycare Nursery and Kids Club
- 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.