Nannas Neighbourhood Nursery

A separate garden for the youngest children and woodland sessions at Welsh Woods give Nannas Neighbourhood Nursery a clear outdoor identity. This purpose-built setting occupies the grounds of Hazelmere Infants and Junior School in Colchester, with babies, toddlers and preschool children based in different age areas. It has capacity for 56 children in total. That is a whole-nursery figure, rather than the size of any individual group.

At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found that children made exceptional progress, with language development and support for children with additional needs among its strengths. The detail behind that judgement matters: children pursued questions about insects, used books and technology to investigate them, and talked about their discoveries. The assessment is dated, but it gives families a substantial account of how teaching worked.

Full days, morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside flexible attendance, so the practical offer reaches beyond one working-day pattern.

Rooms and Ages

Children have base rooms for ages 0–2, 2–3 and 3–5. Natural materials shape the baby room, while the under-twos have their own garden with artificial grass. Separating this outdoor space from the larger rear garden gives the youngest children an area intended for their age group.

In November 2022, babies practised climbing outdoors with staff close by and encouragement as they tried new movements. They also worked towards feeding themselves. These are useful examples of the balance between adult help and opportunities to attempt everyday tasks independently.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care: here, its day-to-day meaning includes conversation, physical exploration and opportunities to learn through play. In November 2022, children's interest in spiders prompted research with reference books, while questions about bees led to predictions about nectar collection and watching how honey is made. Staff extended an existing interest rather than simply supplying an answer.

Weekly Performing Arts and Sports activities add organised movement to the nursery day. They are delivered by external companies. Together with garden play, they give children different settings in which to practise moving, listening and joining in with others.

Past events show another side of the children's experiences. During the Role Play competition in 2018, Dinky Adventurers at Hawthorn Avenue became a Library. This was an event transformation, rather than a permanent room description. It illustrates how an ordinary play space could be reworked around a recognisable theme, giving children something new to explore.

Outdoor and Community Life

Weekly Forest School sessions at Welsh Woods offer the oldest preschool children outdoor exploration and practical activities, with written parental permission required. That adds a woodland setting to the nursery's own gardens, rather than keeping every outdoor experience on site. The rear garden and separate under-two garden remain the everyday physical features that define this branch.

In November 2022, children also took part in dance and sports, shared resources and practised taking turns. Staff helped them find words for their feelings. Physical activity and emotional learning therefore appeared together in the account of their daily experiences, rather than as unrelated parts of the timetable.

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefited from skilful interaction and coordinated support involving outside agencies. Safeguarding training covered recognising concerns and knowing how to report them, while daily risk assessments formed part of the arrangements assessed at that visit.

In November 2022, staff supported children's emotional understanding through language about feelings and guidance on managing behaviour. For parents, the useful point is the method: children were helped to name their feelings and learn how to manage their behaviour.

A Hawthorn Avenue parents' evening in July 2016 brought families together with their child's Key Person to discuss learning. Developmental reports recorded achievements, and parents helped plan what would come next. This is a historical example of parent involvement, with a clear purpose beyond a general conversation about whether a child had enjoyed the day.

Leaving nursery has also been marked with family celebrations. The Hawthorn Avenue Graduation Party 2018 included certificates, medals and purple gowns, followed by activities and a bouncy castle. The ceremony gave families a shared occasion to recognise the end of their child's time at nursery. It did not confer a school place.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Hazelmere Infant School, Hawthorn Avenue, Colchester, CO4 3JP, with access from Bromley Road. Opening hours are 6.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year except bank holidays.

A Full Day runs from 6.30am to 6.30pm. The Morning Session is 6.30am to 12.30pm, and the Afternoon Session runs from 12.30pm to 6.30pm. Flexible, as-and-when sessions are also offered, with additional childcare bookable by the hour. This gives families a choice between a regular session and extra care when their schedule requires it.

The Holiday Club serves children aged 4–8 during school holidays, with science experiments, craft, games and outdoor activities. It is a separate offer from the nursery's baby, toddler and preschool provision. Enquiries and showarounds use the Hawthorn Avenue contact route, including telephone 01206 791501.

Getting There

A drop-off car park is reached from Bromley Road, and Colchester Hythe train station is within walking distance. Bus connections serve the town centre and destinations beyond it, giving families alternatives to driving.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through a stretched arrangement over 48 weeks, with additional paid hours available for longer attendance. Two-year-old funding and Pupil Premium are also accepted on a case-by-case basis; this is provider participation, rather than a promise that an individual child qualifies.

Parents supply a packed lunch, while the nursery provides breakfast, morning snacks and afternoon tea, with the afternoon menu changing on a five-week rotation. This makes lunch preparation part of the family's routine even when the child attends for a full day.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The Hawthorn Avenue fees information sets out its full-day, morning and afternoon price structure.

Although the nursery is on a school site, attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still use the local authority admissions process for a state-school application.

• Lunch is a family responsibility. Children bring packed lunches even though breakfast and snacks are provided. Factor daily lunch preparation into the attendance pattern you choose.
• Different gardens for different ages. Under-twos have a separate artificial-grass garden, while the setting also has a larger rear garden. On a showaround, ask how your child's group uses its outdoor space and how naps fit around the day.
• Funding follows a stretched calendar. Funded sessions run across 48 weeks, and extra paid hours can extend attendance. Match that calendar to your family's childcare needs before agreeing a pattern.
• School-site expectations. Being based at Hazelmere does not secure a Reception place. Keep the school application separate from the nursery booking.

Nannas suits families choosing morning or afternoon sessions as well as full days, with flexible childcare adding another option. Its separate under-two garden and weekly Welsh Woods sessions give outdoor provision tangible shape, while the November 2022 judgement provides a strong dated assessment of education and care.

The practical trade-offs are straightforward: parents prepare packed lunches, funded attendance follows a stretched calendar, and nursery attendance brings no guaranteed school place. For families comfortable with those arrangements, the combination of age-based spaces, woodland learning and varied booking patterns makes this a useful option to consider.