Step Start Mountnessing

Wooden blocks, sensory baskets and a garden give Step Start Mountnessing a clear character: children have materials to investigate and room to follow an idea. Based on Roman Road in Mountnessing, the nursery combines this emphasis on exploration with a gradual settling process and a choice between a core day and extended attendance.

At its 20 November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and reported good progress for children, including those needing additional support. The useful detail behind that judgement was children making decisions about their day, practitioners responding to their interests and familiar adults helping them settle. One improvement remained: teaching children to look after their surroundings and play materials more consistently.

There are 86 places in total, for children aged 2 to 60 months. That is whole-nursery capacity, rather than the number sharing a room. Funded childcare and private attendance both form part of the offer, with food, care supplies, enrichment and extended hours treated separately from the funded entitlement.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS Framework shapes the day through play, conversation, movement, stories and early mathematical experiences. Children practise communicating and managing relationships alongside exploring ideas and developing physical confidence. This is the foundation of the provision, rather than an extra programme.

Alongside it, the group-wide Birth to 5 Matters guidance helps practitioners observe development and plan a child's next experiences around their interests and needs. The group-wide One Childhood Approach gives play, relationships and emotional wellbeing weight alongside academic learning. Its practical emphasis is on slowing down and responding to what interests the child, rather than expecting development to follow an identical timetable for everyone.

Wooden blocks support construction and sensory baskets invite investigation at Mountnessing. Indoor books and garden exploration give children choices between quieter concentration and active play.

The developmental emphasis changes with age. For the youngest children, familiar adults and routines accompany sensory exploration, movement and music; toddlers are encouraged to express their needs and make choices; older children practise independence and early literacy and numeracy through play. Preparation for school centres on confidence and managing more for themselves.

In November 2024, children selected when to eat snack or lunch, allowing their play to continue rather than stopping everyone together. Practitioners adjusted activities to what caught children's attention. Daily sound activities and conversations introduced new vocabulary, while Makaton supported communication across the nursery. Here, the practical point is communication support, rather than a separately described lesson programme.

Outdoor and Community Life

In November 2024, children exercised outdoors each day and explored nature through outings and planned experiences. Watching stick insects grow prompted interest in what they ate and where they lived. It was a concrete way to connect observation with conversation: children had something real to examine and discuss.

Yoga, cooking, dance and language sessions sit within the optional activities add-on. Trips, visitors, seasonal celebrations, phonics and school-readiness programmes also belong to that charge category. Children whose families opt out continue to receive EYFS learning, but do not participate in those additions. The package choice therefore changes experiences as well as the invoice.

Relationships and Communication

Settling usually builds through three visits, with a parent staying initially and practitioners sharing feedback afterwards. Visit lengths, their number and the start date can change to give a child more transition time.

In November 2024, the key-person arrangement helped children build relationships with familiar practitioners, and room moves were supported through planned transitions. Babies' home routines were discussed with parents before attendance. Comforters and gentle reassurance were used when babies needed help settling or became tired, keeping care responsive to the individual child.

Parent evenings are included in the activities package and provide time with the child's key worker to discuss development and learning. Families opting out of activities receive a written report instead. That distinction matters for parents who value a scheduled conversation about progress, because it is tied to their package choice.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Support for children with special educational needs and disabilities includes reasonable adjustments and plans developed with families and external professionals, giving parents a role in shaping everyday support.

In November 2024, children practised personal care and hygiene with adult help, including handwashing after coughing. Independence was built into everyday routines, rather than confined to a school-preparation activity. For babies, the emphasis remained on their own rhythms and reassurance.

The group-wide partnership with The Little Deli supplies freshly prepared meals, with examples including Sweet Potato & Chickpea Curry and Roast Chicken Hotpot. The nursery's meal arrangements allow adaptations for allergies, dietary needs and preferences; allergy-affected families should confirm current practice for their child.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 281 Roman Road, Mountnessing, Brentwood, CM15 0UH. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Attendance runs across 51 weeks, with closures for public holidays and working days between Christmas and New Year.

The core day runs from 7am to 5pm; extended attendance runs from 7am to 6pm. Funded hours are applied to core attendance first, and any core time beyond the entitlement is payable. The extended-hours option covers attendance beyond the core day.

A minimum of two days each week applies, including for families using the working-parent entitlement. Families using the eligible two-year-old or universal 15-hour entitlement may attend one stretched day weekly. This makes the attendance commitment different depending on the funding route.

Bookings are confirmed eight weeks before the beginning of the child's start month, with families required to respond within three working days. Enrolment documents are due at least two weeks before starting. Where demand exceeds capacity, higher weekly attendance takes priority, followed by existing children, siblings and intended start date. These rules matter for families arranging work around a nursery start.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding covers the universal entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, the working-parent entitlement from nine months, and eligible two-year-old funding. These begin from the term after the relevant age is reached, subject to eligibility. Entitlements are stretched across the nursery's 51-week year, so weekly funded hours are lower than the headline 15 or 30 hours.

Beyond Funding is the standard package combining optional food and drink, consumables, activities and extended hours. Meals and care supplies are charged outside funded hours, either through the package or individual add-ons. Families opting out supply their child's food or daily essentials themselves. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the funding and fees policy explains the package structure.

Opting out has practical consequences. Food must arrive in separate deliveries, and the nursery does not store, refrigerate or reheat it. Families supplying consumables must bring the required age-appropriate items daily, including bedding and messy-play aprons, and remove soiled nappies at collection. Missing food or supplies are provided by the nursery and charged.

A non-refundable registration and uniform charge applies to private and Beyond Funding bookings, with funded-only exemptions. The deposit is credited to the first invoice; eligible Early Learning for 2-Year-Olds funded-only bookings are exempt from both charges. Reducing attendance or cancelling after confirmation requires one month's written notice, while package opt-outs require six weeks. Fees remain payable during absences.

• Children caring for resources. In November 2024, children needed more consistent encouragement to care for books and other materials after independent play. During a visit, ask how practitioners now build that responsibility into the day.
• The funded-only routine. Opting out of food involves separate deliveries, including lunch at 11am and tea at 3.30pm, rather than sending everything together. Consider whether that arrangement works with your working day before choosing the package.
• Starting and settling. Confirmation comes eight weeks before the start month, and settling usually builds through three visits. A tour is bookable; use it to discuss how the settling timetable and core or extended day would fit your child.

Step Start Mountnessing suits families who want play built around natural materials, space outdoors and a gradual introduction to nursery life. Its November 2024 judgement gives a positive inspection position, while the resource-care improvement adds a specific point to pursue.

Core days and extended days suit different collection needs, with a one-day stretched pattern for eligible families. Package choices affect both daily responsibilities for food and supplies and participation in enrichment.