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Bell Day Pre-school

Ofsted: Good
(May 2025)
·
5.0(2 parent reviews)
·Lord Butler Leisure Centre, Peaslands Road, Saffron Walden, CB11 3EG · Essex
Number of places
24 places
Age range
3–4 yrs
Last inspected
May 2025
Local authority
Essex

About this day nursery

Bell Day Nursery in Saffron Walden provides a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment where children can thrive and build strong foundations for lifelong learning. As a community interest company, the nursery is deeply embedded in the local community, encouraging children to explore beyond its walls and engage with the surrounding market town.

The nursery offers a reflective and inclusive curriculum, tailored to each child’s unique learning journey and individual interests, with a strong emphasis on fostering curiosity and independence. They are committed to providing high-quality, affordable care and maintain open communication with parents through the Famly app, allowing them to track their child’s progress and communicate with key workers.

Health and safety are paramount, with rigorous measures in place to ensure a clean and secure setting. Bell Day Nursery also prioritises healthy eating, offering freshly prepared meals that cater to individual dietary needs and involving children in food preparation to cultivate a love for healthy choices.

Engaging activities like Forest School sessions, community outings, Spanish lessons, and Born2Move sessions enrich the learning experience and prepare children for school.

Our ethos

Bell Day Pre-school is committed to providing a reflective and inclusive curriculum that fosters curiosity and independence, tailoring learning to each child’s unique journey and interests. They aim to help children explore their community and build strong foundations for lifelong learning in a safe, nurturing, and affordable environment.

What it's like

Children are at the centre of this unique pre-school. Fun-loving staff personalise care and teaching to ensure all children's individual personalities and characters shine through and they flourish. They feel safe and comfortable in their environment and ready to explore, play and learn.

Community Interest CompanyForest SchoolIndividualised Learning JourneysFamly App for Parent CommunicationFreshly Prepared MealsCommunity Engagement

Pricing & funding

  • Admin fee for waiting list£50 / session

Key facts

Food

Meals are freshly prepared daily, with children encouraged to participate in preparing snacks and dinners. Individual dietary needs are prioritised.

Opening hours

Monday – Thursday 08:00am – 18:00pm; Friday 08:00am – 17:00pm

Age range

6 months to 4 years

Term time / All Year

All Year

Waitlist

Waiting list with £50 admin fee.

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Bell Day Pre-school

Last inspected 16 May 2025 · Louisa Taylor

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 are at the centre of this unique pre-school. Fun-loving staff personalise care and teaching to ensure all children's individual personalities and characters shine through and they flourish. They feel safe and comfortable in their environment and ready to explore, play and learn.

Inspector highlights

  • Children are at the centre of this unique pre-school, with personalised care and teaching.
  • Children benefit from a superb and endless array of wider experiences in the local community.
  • Robust assessment of children's progress helps identify and reduce learning gaps.
  • Children develop healthy eating habits and engage in varied physical exercise.
  • Parental partnership is at the heart of the pre-school.

Areas to develop

  • 1help staff to consistently provide meaningful interactions to further enhance and extend children's learning
  • 2implement effective teaching strategies consistently to support children's deeper understanding of safe and positive behaviours and the impact their behaviour has on others.
Inspection #10388540 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Robust assessment of children's progress means staff identify any gaps in children's learning and plan activities to help reduce these. Consequently, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make very good progress from their starting points. Staff make timely referrals and work closely with parents and outside professionals to ensure all children with SEND leave the pre-school prepared for their next school.

Outdoor space

The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact that this had on children's learning. The management team and inspector completed a tour of the pre-school, both indoors and outdoors to understand how the early years provision and curriculum are organised.

Parent Reviews of Bell Day Pre-school

5.0
(2)
Oz Makinaci
5 years ago

Top quality nursery that will help your little ones to step into social and educational life with all the support they need. Settle in sessions are so well organised to make your child feel secure parent’s are part of the experience as long as the child needs but also paying so much special attention to the child that creates the special bond with the key person from early days. Key person home visit ahead of the settle in sessions make a huge difference. The food is various and good quality you will be surprised how much your child will be tempted to try different tastes and textures. Garden play area and short walks to nearby parks and farms keep your little ones excited for each day ahead. I was so surprised to have my little one running towards the carers each morning and waving happily goodbye. Famly app (sort of social networking within the nursery) used is very interactive and keeps the parent in touch with what is going on each day and hour. Covid measures are handled so professionally that kids are picked from outdoor gate maintaining social distancing. Amenities such as hand gel is always available. Classes do not mix with one another.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Bell Day Pre-school. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: July 2019

  • June 2025Good
  • May 2025Good
  • August 2019Outstanding
  • July 2019Outstanding

Frequently asked about Bell Day Pre-school

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This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more