Charlies House Childminding and Nursery

A suspension takes precedence over an older Good judgement at Charlies House Childminding and Nursery in Braintree. Ofsted’s notice dated 3 August 2026 records a suspension imposed on 23 July 2026 because children were considered potentially at risk of harm, alongside a welfare requirements notice covering safeguarding, leadership, premises and SEND procedures. Childcare requiring registration cannot be provided while that suspension is in place.

The earlier picture needs that qualification. At its 19 October 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective, with an improvement action to gather fuller information about children’s experiences when they start. That judgement belongs to that visit; it cannot provide reassurance about the later regulatory findings.

The setting at 352 Coggeshall Road combines baby care, preschool provision and care for school-age children. Its age range runs from birth to 14 years, with 42 places in total. Named rooms, communication through Famly and several contract patterns give the offer a recognisable shape, but the regulatory position is the first decision point for families.

Rooms and Ages

Caterpillars accommodates babies up to roughly 15 months, with walking used as the milestone for moving into Butterflies. The subsequent sequence is Bumblebees, Dragonflies and the school room; children attending before or after school also have their own space. This is a progression through stages rather than a set of rigid age boundaries.

Room names alone do not explain the day. In October 2023, babies explored movement in a ball pit and watched changing sensory lights, while toddlers sang on an outdoor stage and practised riding balance bicycles. These concrete examples show the different experiences offered to younger children at that time. They are historical observations, rather than promises about today’s room arrangements.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS structures learning across language, physical development, relationships, literacy, mathematics, creative expression and understanding the world. In practical terms, staff track children’s development and use their next steps to plan activities, trips and the arrangement of play spaces. The framework provides the educational foundation; the individual planning gives it a child’s own starting point.

Famly, the communication and development-tracking tool, connects that planning with home. Updates share progress and next steps with families, giving parents something specific to build on beyond nursery hours. For school-age children, the emphasis is on reinforcing school learning and supporting emotional development.

In October 2023, preparation for writing included strengthening children’s hands and fingers before pencil control. Stories supported language, and a preschool child’s lunchtime helping role involved organising the table and cutlery. School preparation took the form of ordinary responsibilities as well as early learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

A substantial outdoor area forms part of the setting’s offer. Resources are kept in a summerhouse and rotated into the playroom, while labelled containers allow children to choose materials for themselves. That makes independent selection part of the physical organisation of the space.

Outdoor provision also features in the later enforcement action. The July 2026 regulatory visit led to a requirement for babies and young children to have outdoor play every day. Earlier examples of outdoor activities therefore need to be read alongside that later finding.

Relationships and Communication

Settling sessions are offered to children, and Famly carries daily information as well as learning updates, including medication, accidents and incidents. These are practical communication arrangements: parents can follow both development and care matters through the same system.

The October 2023 improvement action concerned the information collected from families at the start. Staff needed a fuller understanding of experiences children had already had, including those outside nursery, to plan more accurately from the outset. For a family, that makes the initial conversation about home life and previous experiences consequential, rather than merely introductory.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The CHC SEND local offer sets out working with families and other professionals, making referrals, purchasing additional resources and using action plans so staff take a consistent approach. A ramp connects the garage with the parents’ waiting area for wheelchair access. These are identifiable mechanisms and a physical adaptation, rather than a general assurance about the quality of support.

The August 2026 notice required effective SEND procedures, alongside staff supervision that allows child-protection concerns to be discussed. It also required prompt referrals of welfare concerns, suitable accountable people, stronger leadership oversight, staff understanding of whistleblowing and effective recruitment safeguards. Written policies and communication systems do not establish that these requirements have been satisfied.

In October 2023, children could sleep outside with parental agreement, or use an indoor sleep room. A kitchen manager adapted meals for individual dietary needs, and staff joined children during meals and snacks. Those arrangements describe the care observed then, not a current guarantee.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 352 Coggeshall Road, Braintree, CM7 9EH. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Contract options include full-time and part-time attendance, term-time arrangements, holiday care, shift cover and ad hoc bookings; wraparound care is also offered.

These patterns should be considered alongside the suspension restriction. An advertised contract model does not establish that care can legally begin. The funding arrangements describe year-round provision with a fortnight’s Christmas closure and a week closed in August, and parents are not charged during closures.

The enquiry form is the contact route, with a response within five working days.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted from nine months. The arrangements include 15 or 30 hours, delivered across the year through stretched funding or during term time. Eligibility conditions apply, so participation in funding does not by itself establish a family’s entitlement.

Paid care sits alongside funding through the different contract options. Families should obtain a current written quotation covering their proposed arrangement. Closure periods are accounted for when funding is distributed, which matters when comparing term-time attendance with a year-round pattern.

• Suspension and legal provision. The notice dated 3 August 2026 records the suspension imposed on 23 July 2026. Before arranging childcare or a visit, what subsequent official decision establishes whether the setting may provide registered childcare?
• Safety, space and hygiene. The July 2026 action included risk assessment, sufficient space, clean toilets and changing areas, and daily outdoor play for young children. What changes address these requirements and the safeguarding and SEND actions?
• Starting information. October 2023’s improvement action concerned understanding children’s previous and home experiences. How will the settling discussion capture your child’s routines, communication and support needs?
• The whole contract. Stretched funding, term-time attendance and holiday arrangements create different practical commitments. How will the Christmas and August closures affect your chosen attendance pattern?

The attendance model is designed for families considering full-time care, term-time provision or wraparound arrangements, with holiday and shift-cover options adding flexibility. Caterpillars and the subsequent room sequence, together with Famly updates and settling sessions, give families concrete arrangements to assess.

The suspension and welfare requirements notice govern the decision, however. The notice dated 3 August 2026 records that childcare requiring registration cannot be provided while the suspension is in place. Establishing the subsequent official regulatory position must come before judging whether this setting suits a child.