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The Mulberry Bush Montessori Nursery

Ofsted: Strong standard·12 Melrose Road, West Mersea, COLCHESTER, CO5 8JB · Essex
Number of places
30 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Feb 2026
Local authority
Essex

About this day nursery

The Mulberry Bush Montessori Nursery, established in 2014 in Colchester, offers childcare for children aged 0-4 years. With an Outstanding Ofsted rating from its latest inspection on February 4, 2026, the nursery operates all year round from 7:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday.

The setting implements a blended pedagogical approach, incorporating Montessori and EYFS principles. The curriculum is delivered by highly responsive staff who adeptly adapt their methods to meet individual needs, fostering curiosity and independence in children.

The nursery provides highly inclusive support for all children, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or those learning English as an additional language (EAL). Individualised support plans are regularly reviewed to ensure excellent progress is made.

Outdoor learning is a key feature, with dedicated activities like climbing for younger children to develop gross motor skills and forest school sessions for older children, encouraging collaboration and an appreciation for nature. The nursery prides itself on creating a calm and inviting environment where children feel secure and eager to explore, making it a nurturing space for early development.

Our ethos

The Mulberry Bush Mersea Day Nursery integrates Montessori principles with a Forest and Coastal School approach, fostering child-led discovery, resilience, creativity, and a connection with nature. They are committed to nurturing children's emotional development and individual learning journeys.

What it's like

Staff create a calm and inviting environment that supports children to be curious learners who engage well in their play. Children confidently explore the environment, select activities that interest them, and find the tools and resources they need from accessible storage. Staff are highly responsive to children and expertly support children to learn the skills needed to be independent and complete tasks independently.

Highly inclusive environmentBlended pedagogical approachesOutdoor learning adventuresCurious and independent learnersStrong parent partnerships

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — working parents (9 months–2 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare
Pricing on request

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

Key facts

Session types

Nursery Day: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (7 hours), Full Day: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm (9 hours), Extended Day: 7:00 am - 6:00 pm (11 hours)

Waitlist

Yes, based on sibling priority, date of application, and session availability.

Opening hours

7:00 am - 6:00 pm, 50 weeks a year

Age range

9 months to 5 years

Term time / All Year

All_year

Established

2014

Ofsted Inspection — new report card

Strong standard

Last inspected Feb 2026

Headline: Strong standard

Grade summary

Exceptional
—
Strong standard
Expected standard
—
Needs attention
—
Urgent improvement
—

Each dot represents one of the six inspection categories. Headline is the average of the six grades, rounded up.

Category grades

AchievementStrong standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesStrong standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingStrong standard
Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
InclusionStrong standard
Leadership and governanceStrong standard
Age range
0 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for The Mulberry Bush Montessori Nursery

Last inspected 4 February 2026

What it's like to attend

Staff create a calm and inviting environment that supports children to be curious learners who engage well in their play. Children confidently explore the environment, select activities that interest them, and find the tools and resources they need from accessible storage. Staff are highly responsive to children and expertly support children to learn the skills needed to be independent and complete tasks independently.

Inspector highlights

  • All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, are expertly supported to make excellent progress.
  • Children are provided with targeted, individualised support plans that are regularly reviewed and adapted.
  • Children are supported to become independent learners who are confident, curious and ready to learn.
  • Children demonstrate they understand the behavioural expectations of the setting and behave impeccably.
  • Leaders have created a calm, relaxed environment where children demonstrate a secure sense of belonging.
  • Staff are highly reflective of the learning opportunities they provide to children and continuously strive to improve.

Areas to develop

  • 1Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.
Inspection #10127369 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, are expertly supported to make excellent progress. Children are provided with targeted, individualised support plans that are regularly reviewed and adapted to meet the changing needs of individual children. Any areas of concern in a child's learning and development are quickly identified and addressed. The special educational needs coordinator was spoken to during the inspection.

Outdoor space

Staff recognise that younger children want to climb, and so they provide children with opportunities to develop their balance, coordination and gross motor skills. Older children are shown how to create a bird feeder in the forest area of the garden, working together to complete the task. Forest school sessions happen more regularly to capture the whole cohort of children.

EAL / language support

The nursery provides a highly inclusive environment that supports all children, including those with barriers to their learning, to thrive. Targeted and individualised support is swiftly implemented to help children close any gaps and reduce their barriers to learning.

Inspection history

Date: August 2016

The most recent inspection point has been hidden because the parsed entry didn't match the headline Ofsted rating (Outstanding). We're re-checking it against the original report.

  • May 2020Outstanding
  • August 2016Outstanding

Frequently asked about The Mulberry Bush Montessori Nursery

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