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Apple Barn Pre School

Ofsted: Good
(May 2025)
·53 Bentfield Causeway, Stansted, CM24 8HU · Essex
Number of places
15 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
May 2025
Local authority
Essex

About this day nursery

Apple Barn Pre School offers a warm and welcoming environment in Stansted, where children aged 2 to 4 years flourish. The pre-school, which received a "Good" rating in its latest Ofsted inspection, focuses strongly on children's well-being and outdoor learning, with daily adventures to nearby woods that encourage physical activity and imaginative play.

The curriculum is designed to be flexible and built around children's interests, helping them understand important concepts like health and emotions. Staff at Apple Barn are attentive and respectful, fostering strong bonds with the children and promoting excellent behaviour through positive reinforcement.

Parents consistently praise the pre-school for the significant progress their children make in numeracy and literacy within a fun and safe setting. The management demonstrates a clear passion for providing high-quality care and education, observing and supporting staff to maintain good practices.

Settling-in sessions are tailored to individual needs, ensuring children feel secure and happy to engage in their play, leaving parents with ease. The pre-school consistently aims to provide a curriculum that builds on what children already know, ensuring a supportive and engaging learning journey for all.

Our ethos

The Apple Barn Pre School's philosophy centres on children's well-being and outdoor learning, with daily adventures in nearby woods that foster physical activity and imaginative play. Their flexible curriculum is built around the children's interests, aiming to develop understanding of concepts like health and emotions. They are committed to building on children's prior knowledge to ensure a supportive and engaging learning journey for all.

What it's like

Children flourish in the small, welcoming and cosy pre-school with a strong emphasis on supporting their well-being and promoting outdoor learning. Settling-in sessions are tailored, leading to children happily arriving with enthusiasm and engaging in play. They demonstrate confidence and have established warm bonds with staff, who speak knowledgeably about the children.

Welcoming environmentOutdoor learning focusChild-centred curriculumStrong staff-child bondsGood behaviourEffective safeguarding

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday from 9am until 3.30pm

Term time / All Year

Term Time

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Apple Barn Pre School

Last inspected 9 May 2025

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

Children flourish in the small, welcoming and cosy pre-school with a strong emphasis on supporting their well-being and promoting outdoor learning. Settling-in sessions are tailored, leading to children happily arriving with enthusiasm and engaging in play. They demonstrate confidence and have established warm bonds with staff, who speak knowledgeably about the children.

Inspector highlights

  • Children delight in daily planned adventures to the nearby woods, learning about safety and investigating the world around them.
  • Children show sustained concentration using the sand pit, persevering to make sandcastles and predicting how much water is needed.
  • Children have many opportunities to learn simple mathematics through activities like number songs, discussing shapes and size, and learning about weight.
  • Children have many opportunities to make marks and learn skills for early writing, with staff helping them name fruits they draw.
  • The management demonstrates a clear passion to provide high-quality care and education, observing and monitoring staff practice and offering continuous professional development.

Areas to develop

  • 1build on the good communication with parents to develop ways to consistently share up-to-date information about how they can support their child's learning at home
  • 2guide staff to provide more opportunities for children to consider their thoughts and responses to questions.
Inspection #10388460 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

Many parents comment on how fortunate and grateful they are for such a 'wonderful' pre-school for their children.

parents say that their children are excited to attend and have made excellent progress in numeracy and literacy.

Many speak of being reassured their children are learning in a fun and safe environment.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

Outdoor space

Children delight in daily planned adventures to the nearby woods, engaging in lots of physical activities in the 'magical' woods. They enjoy the space and freedom to run at speed in the fresh air, demonstrating how squirrels climb trees and using their imagination to give names to trees.

Inspection history

Date: July 2019

  • May 2025Good
  • July 2019Outstanding

Frequently asked about Apple Barn Pre School

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