The Old School House Kindergarten

A converted schoolhouse, a roof garden for babies and a superhero bear called Price give The Old School House Kindergarten a character of its own. At this Stanway nursery, outdoor provision includes a story teepee for younger children and obstacle-course building for older ones. The physical spaces give different ages different ways to explore.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 17 February 2025 and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. It has capacity for 46 children, accepting ages from six months to five years. The educational emphasis includes independence, communication and understanding emotions, with activities adapted to children's developmental stages.

Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings give families different attendance options. The minimum weekly commitment, including a Monday or Friday, is an important part of the choice.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play: children develop skills through shared activities and exploration. Here, the curriculum is adapted across the playrooms, with an emphasis on taking pride in achievements, respecting others and managing emotions. School preparation is part of that work, alongside the independence children need in everyday life.

Price, the nursery's superhero bear, visits children so they can show their own superpowers. It gives the emphasis on recognising achievements a concrete character. The curriculum's intentions are expressed through something children can engage with, rather than remaining an adult description of what they should learn.

In February 2025, preschool children used pegs on a board to choose their next activity. Staff explained the vote and made room for the possibility of doing the other activity later. That is a practical introduction to expressing a preference while recognising that other children may choose differently.

During the same month, songs, stories, rhymes and conversation were used to introduce vocabulary and revisit children's experiences. Self-portraits prompted discussion about differences in eyes, faces and skin tones. These activities connected language with things children could recognise in themselves and each other.

Outdoor and Community Life

The enclosed garden combines a reading area with bridges, balance equipment and a mud kitchen. There is space for quieter activity as well as movement, and older children build obstacle courses. Babies have a roof garden with sensory spots and a story teepee, giving their outdoor experience its own setting.

In February 2025, furniture and equipment were positioned to support babies practising standing and walking. Visitors also brought specialist knowledge into the nursery. The next step was to extend children's experiences beyond the premises, an improvement point that matters alongside the substantial outdoor provision within the setting.

At the February 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that children were settled, received care and learning adapted to their individual needs, and had positive relationships with staff. Key persons used information shared by parents to shape that care. For families, the significant detail is the connection between what happens at home and how the nursery responds to a child.

In February 2025, staff spoke with parents about relevant home information, and parents received updates covering their children's nursery experience. The current approach includes regular progress sharing and partnerships based on mutual support. Communication therefore has both an immediate purpose, passing on what matters that day, and a longer view of development.

Cooperation was visible in everyday tasks in February 2025: children helped return toy baskets and practised polite exchanges during meals. The emphasis on independence was expressed through manageable responsibilities, rather than being confined to planned activities. Staff working with younger children also received training about the needs of under-twos at that time.

Meals are cooked on the premises each day with seasonal ingredients. This keeps food preparation within the nursery's daily operation.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 239 London Road, Stanway, Colchester, CO3 8PB. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks, with closures for public holidays and a Christmas week. On-site parking supports collection and drop-off.

A full day runs from 8am to 6pm. Morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm, and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. The minimum booking is two full days or four morning or afternoon sessions each week, and it must include a Monday or Friday. Those conditions matter as much as the clock times when matching childcare to a working week.

Enquiries and personal tours can be arranged through the branch. Permanent session changes and cancellations require one calendar month's notice. Sickness and holidays do not bring session exchanges, credits or refunds; normal charges also apply to bank-holiday closures. Families need to account for those terms when comparing attendance costs across the year.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the 15-hour and 30-hour weekly entitlements over 38 weeks, alongside 2 Help funding. The standard arrangement spreads the annual entitlement across the nursery's operating weeks. Funded hours can be used alone or combined with additional paid attendance, and can fall within full-day, morning or afternoon sessions, subject to availability.

Non-funded fees are inclusive except for nappies: meals and the other consumables sit within that inclusive structure. During funded hours, food, consumables and enrichment are charged separately through the optional Essentials Package. Its consumables include suncream, wipes, cream and nappy bags. Funding therefore changes the charge structure as well as the amount of paid attendance a family may need.

Families can opt out of the Essentials Package by contacting the manager before term starts. Depending on nursery policy, opting out may involve providing suitable alternatives or collecting and disposing of consumables. A registration charge and a deposit, credited against the final invoice, apply except to fully funded places, where both are waived. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• The weekly commitment. Two full days or four morning or afternoon sessions must include a Monday or Friday. Use a visit to discuss how that requirement fits your intended pattern.
• Time to think. In February 2025, some staff asked questions too quickly or moved on before children could respond. Ask how practitioners now give children space to develop their answers.
• Experiences beyond the premises. Extending learning outside the nursery was another February 2025 improvement point. The garden is a substantial resource; a useful visit question is how learning now extends beyond it.
• Funded-hours extras. The optional Essentials Package has a before-term opt-out process, with possible responsibilities for alternatives and consumables. Discuss those practical arrangements before choosing your package.

The Old School House Kindergarten suits families seeking either full-day attendance or shorter morning and afternoon sessions, provided the weekly minimum fits. Its converted building, babies' roof garden and achievement-focused bear give the daily offer recognisable detail. The February 2025 Good judgement supports that picture, while questioning techniques and experiences beyond the premises remain useful subjects for a visit. The choice also turns on the funded-hours extras and the requirement to include a Monday or Friday.