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Little Smarties Nursery

Ofsted: Good
(May 2022)
·
4.9(33 parent reviews) ·Bakers Lane, West Hanningfield, Chelmsford, CM2 8LD · Essex
Number of places
100 places
Age range
0–5 yrs
Last inspected
May 2022
Local authority
Essex

About this day nursery

Little Smarties Nursery offers outstanding early years education and care for children aged 0-5 years, alongside vibrant breakfast, after-school, and holiday clubs for older siblings. The nursery is committed to providing a stimulating environment where children can thrive, featuring age-specific rooms tailored to developmental stages: Little Windsors (under 2s), Little Rowlings (2-3s), and Little Einsteins (3-5s).

They prioritise healthy eating with home-cooked meals prepared in line with government guidelines. The nursery also boasts a unique perk with its own fleet of cars for excursions, ensuring children experience a diverse range of activities and outings.

A dedicated team of staff fosters an atmosphere of continuous growth and learning, striving to progress alongside the children in their care. The nursery proudly holds an "Ofsted Good" rating, demonstrating their commitment to quality.

What it's like

Children are happy in the relaxed, nurturing and very pleasant nursery environment, where they quickly settle and adjust. They benefit from the attention of kind and caring staff who meet their care needs and foster positive relationships. Staff have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Age-specific roomsHome-cooked mealsBreakfast & After School ClubHoliday ClubOfsted Good rating

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds
Pricing on request

This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.

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Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Little Smarties Nursery

Last inspected 19 May 2022

Overall effectiveness
Good

What it's like to attend

Children are happy in the relaxed, nurturing and very pleasant nursery environment, where they quickly settle and adjust. They benefit from the attention of kind and caring staff who meet their care needs and foster positive relationships. Staff have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Inspector highlights

  • The curriculum covers all areas of learning and is well-implemented by staff.
  • Staff help children to learn about and explore the natural world.
  • Children are interested in activities like sensory play and creating models from natural materials.
  • Staff place a strong focus on promoting children's communication and language skills.
  • The management team takes staff well-being seriously and provides good opportunities for high-quality training.

Areas to develop

  • 1help staff to embed agreed teaching strategies so that they are consistently implemented across the nursery
  • 2support staff to reflect on the organisation of adult-led activities to help them understand when these could be adapted to better meet children's needs.
Inspection #10174184 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

have come on in leaps and bounds

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff have high expectations for all children who attend the nursery, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff are beginning to use sign-supported speech to aid communication.

Outdoor space

Children relish time in the garden looking for minibeasts, and celebrate their achievements when they find a very long worm in the big tyre. They are very curious and show lots of interest in the way it moves.

Parent Reviews of Little Smarties Nursery

4.9
(33)
Kellie Teale
2 years ago

Little smarties nursery is wonderful. The team work so well together and the communication is good, the tapestry updates are regular and consistent. The team take any concerns seriously and make any amendments necessary to help improve any situation. I have sent both my children here, both started as babies. The nursery are so supportive and understanding of how difficult it is to leave your child, they did everything possible to help with the transition. They organise parents evenings, parent coffee meet ups, Christmas shows and so much more. I feel very lucky to have found them and my children love going. I would most definitely recommend them.

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Courtnay Anderson
2 years ago

My daughter joined little smarties 4 weeks ago after a bad experience at another local nursery. We already know that moving her was the best decision we made. The staff have gone above and beyond to ensure my daughter settled in well and also to reassure me with daily updates, phone calls etc. I feel like the nursery is 'home from home' and the staff really care about the children. Everyday the children are doing a different activity from painting, dancing to playing in the garden. I love that we have to supply wellies and a puddle suit so the children still get to go outside even in the winter. I highly recommend Little Smarties Nursery!

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esharp92
2 years ago

Little Smarties are our extended family. They are such a dedicated and passionate team, who care so much for all their children. Both our boys have loved it there! My eldest has just started school and he has such a great foundation of learning. They take the kids on walks over the fields and their outdoor area is large and varied. Plus they start at 7am, which is ideal for families working in London. They have excellent links with local schools and have a fleet of cars which drop off in the morning and pick up after school, which is so helpful for working parents too. We will always be grateful to our Smarties family!

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Jess Leeds
a year ago

Incredible nursery!🌟🌟 Was super nervous to send our little girl (13months old when she started) there but it has been the best decision we could have made. We visited a lot of nursery’s but as soon as we saw this one we knew she needed to go there. She has started to recognise now where she is when we pull up and is very excited! The family atmosphere you feel the second you walk in. All the staff there genuinely care! The owners are super lovely and it’s great to see them there taking an interest! They put a lot of thought into the meals they prep the children, great portions! Couldn’t recommended enough🌟

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Briony Tory-Hill
2 years ago

Little Smarties was the best nursery, my son attended from 10 months until he left for school. He thrived at the nursery and adored all the staff. Now he’s at school he’s always asking to go back, so now he regularly attends holiday club. The staff here are fantastic, they care about all the children, and so a wonderful job with them. 10/10 recommend this nursery.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Little Smarties Nursery. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Most recent inspection

19 May 2022

Good

Only one graded inspection on record — a trend chart will appear here once a second graded report is published.

View full Ofsted report

Frequently asked about Little Smarties Nursery

About the setting

Little Smarties Nursery Limited registered in 2017. The nursery is open from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays. The nursery employs 18 members of childcare staff, with 14 holding appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including the senior leadership team who are qualified at level 6. The nursery receives funding for the early education of two-, three- and four-year-old children.

URN
EY549918
Registered person
Little Smarties Nursery Limited
Day care type
Full day care
Register
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Establishment type
Childcare on non-domestic premises

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