Wivenhoe Park Day Nursery
Good★ 4.8 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Colchester for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2024. Open since 2010, with 147 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
CO4 3SQWhat 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.
- 24 January 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 19 March 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and settled in this inclusive nursery. The key-person system and settling-in procedures ensure that children settle quickly. Babies benefit from nurturing relationships with staff. They enjoy cuddles with them and give eye contact when having their bottles as staff gently sing to them. Other babies beam as they play a game of 'peek-a-boo' with familiar adults. Staff ensure that each child feels welcome. For instance, during group time, children are welcomed by the
'hello song' with the use of each child's name in the song.
Leaders have created areas in each room to help children manage their own feelings. When children have disagreements, staff sensitively encourage them to share their feelings and help children identify how to resolve these issues themselves. As a result, children generally play harmoniously together.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the organisation of routines and activities to ensure that children do not have prolonged periods of inactivity
- support all staff who work directly with children to continue to develop their interactions and raise the quality of teaching to a consistently high level.
- 19 March 2024Good
- 26 February 2020Outstanding
- 2 June 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Wivenhoe Park Day 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.