Broomfield Road Nursery, Seymour House

A Victorian house, a modern extension for older children and a kitchen garden give Broomfield Road a clear physical character. The Nursery Class can move directly from its indoor space into an outdoor classroom accessible throughout the year. For children approaching school age, that makes outdoor learning part of the room's layout rather than a separate destination.

At its August 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found safeguarding effective. The practical detail beneath that judgement is useful: children planned construction projects on paper, explored mathematical ideas while preparing food and practised doing things for themselves at mealtimes.

The nursery cares for children aged two to 60 months at 140 Broomfield Road, Chelmsford. Nursery Days, Full Days and Extended Days provide different attendance windows, with a term-time-only option alongside year-round attendance.

Rooms and Ages

Nursery Class, for four- to five-year-olds, occupies the modern extension and connects directly to the outdoor classroom and kitchen garden, giving children space to move between indoor activities and outdoor exploration.

For babies, care follows home routines as closely as possible, alongside interactive play. That combination matters: learning experiences sit around the baby's needs rather than requiring every child to follow the same rhythm. For two-year-olds, exploration and growing independence are the emphasis.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, play and activities help children practise communication, physical skills, relationships and early learning. It is the common foundation for nursery education, rather than an extra programme unique to Broomfield Road.

In August 2025, the outdoor construction area included paper and large clipboards for children to sketch their ideas. Building therefore involved more than assembling materials: children could put a plan on paper and connect making with early writing. Staff also explained unfamiliar vocabulary during activities, giving new words a concrete context.

Food preparation supplied another example that month. Preschool children examined cucumber circles while exploring diameter; a mathematics activity also introduced circumference and how quarters fit together. These were practical ways to encounter mathematical ideas through objects children could handle, rather than vocabulary presented on its own.

School & Beyond is Seymour House's group-wide programme for three- and four-year-olds that combines learning and activities in preparation for primary school. In August 2025, preschool activities included opportunities to practise independence and solve problems. For families thinking about the move to school, the relevant emphasis is on what children can increasingly manage themselves.

Outdoor and Community Life

The kitchen garden connects outdoor space with food education. A Nursery Food Champion supports cooking, planting and learning about food's origins. Children can therefore encounter food as something grown and prepared, as well as something served at the table.

The outdoor classroom remains accessible throughout the year. Its direct connection with Nursery Class is especially relevant for older children: the environment supports movement between the extension and outdoor learning, while the garden gives that outdoor space a practical purpose.

Relationships and Communication

In August 2025, settling sessions involved parents, and moves between rooms were organised in advance. Staff across rooms knew the children and remembered details from their lives. That familiarity matters when a child changes rooms: a new space need not mean starting again with adults who know nothing about them.

Parent support also extended beyond conversations about the nursery day. That August, families could borrow books and resources covering subjects such as weaning and potty training from a library. This gave parents something practical to use at home during stages that can affect both family routines and nursery care.

Independence began with small tasks. In August 2025, younger children practised feeding themselves and handling a spoon; older children helped serve lunch, used cutlery and poured drinks. These everyday responsibilities give children repeated opportunities to practise self-care, rather than reserving independence for school preparation alone.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the August 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff supported children with special educational needs and/or disabilities through specific training, meetings with families and other agencies, and changes to activities and resources. The important mechanism was adaptation: children could take part through adjustments to what was planned and how materials were used.

The current leadership structure includes a SENCo role held by the Head of Early Years Practice, while the Nursery Manager holds the Safeguarding Lead role. These give families identifiable responsibilities within the team, without treating a job title as proof of the effectiveness of support.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Nursery Days allow attendance between 9am and 4pm; Full Days between 8am and 5pm; Extended Days between 7am and 6pm. The three windows let families choose between a shorter nursery day and attendance extending into the early morning and evening.

The booking calculator allows combinations of attendance patterns across up to five days a week. Term-time-only attendance is also an option. Year-round opening excludes bank holidays and Christmas, so those closures matter when matching childcare to work commitments.

Getting There

The address is 140 Broomfield Road, Chelmsford, CM1 1RN. The nursery occupies a Victorian house, with Chelmsford train station nearby.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, with 15 Hours and 30 Hours options alongside privately paid attendance. Eligibility determines which funded option applies; choosing a session pattern does not itself establish entitlement. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Meals and snacks run from breakfast to tea, and the Nursery Food Champion works with Nursery Kitchen on meals while also supporting children's food education.

• Match the attendance window. Nursery Days run between 9am and 4pm, while Extended Days cover 7am to 6pm. Choose the pattern around the time you actually need childcare, including collection.
• Use the tour to explore the older children's space. Nursery Class has direct access to the outdoor classroom and kitchen garden. On a booked tour, ask how those spaces feature in your child's age group's day and how room moves are planned.
• Separate funding from the total bill. The calculator includes 15 Hours and 30 Hours funding options. What does your written quotation include for meals and consumables, particularly during funded hours?

Broomfield Road suits families choosing between Nursery Days and Extended Days, as well as those considering Full Days or term-time-only attendance. Its strongest practical features are the older children's extension, direct outdoor access and food education linked to the kitchen garden. The August 2025 examples also give substance to its approach: planning a construction project, handling mathematical ideas and practising self-care. Families can weigh those details alongside the attendance window and the full cost of their chosen arrangement.