Chrysalis Day Nursery & Pre-school

A black-and-white sensory area for babies, a shaded garden and a mud kitchen give Chrysalis at Church Hill a recognisable character: exploration starts small and expands as children become more mobile. At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding, with language development, relationships and learning among its strengths.

This is the Chrysalis setting at 3 Church Hill in Loughton, distinct from the group's other premises. It accepts children from 3 to 59 months, while the Church Hill rooms concentrate on the youngest stages. That distinction matters for families planning care beyond toddlerhood.

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with bank holidays closed. Caterpillar room gives babies a designated sleeping area and a shaded garden for outdoor exploration.

Rooms and Ages

Caterpillar room serves children aged 3 to 15 months, with an emphasis on sensory exploration through its monochrome sensory area, full-size cots in a designated sleeping area and shaded garden. These are useful details for families balancing an infant's need for stimulation, rest and time outside.

Chrysalis Room takes children aged approximately 15 to 24 months, depending on development, with direct movement between the room and garden, and a low toilet for children beginning toilet training. Development helps determine the move into this room; the age band is approximate.

Butterfly Room serves children aged 24 to 36 months, with two room environments, a carpeted space used for stories and afternoon sleep, and regular garden access. Its adapted toilet facilities support children practising greater independence.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS shapes learning here through activities such as stories, music, making marks and exploring outdoors. In the garden used by Chrysalis Room and Butterfly Room, vegetable growing, water and sand play sit alongside role play and the mud kitchen. Children can investigate materials and practise different skills through familiar activities.

Little Signers Club brings baby-signing sessions to the Caterpillar and Chrysalis rooms on Mondays each week, using gestures as a means of communication. Weekly Music sessions also feature in the baby room's activities. For parents, these give a concrete picture of what enrichment means at this age: communication and shared musical experiences.

In November 2022, children mixed ingredients to make dough and experimented with painting tools at easels. Staff extended conversations with new vocabulary, while babies joined nursery rhymes accompanied by bubbles. Reading had its own physical spaces, with comfortable book corners and a book of the month used to explore stories in greater depth. The detail is more useful than a broad promise about learning: practical exploration and language ran through ordinary activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

Garden provision gives toddlers several reasons to spend time outside, from growing vegetables to experimenting with materials in the mud kitchen. The direct garden connection in Chrysalis Room is especially relevant once children are steady on their feet, making outdoor exploration part of the room's arrangement.

In November 2022, children visited parks, supermarkets and the library, and took part in Remembrance Day events and community fun days. Those experiences brought books, everyday shopping and local occasions into their learning. Outdoor physical activity included riding in cars, while yoga gave children opportunities to stretch and bend. These are examples from that period, rather than a current timetable of outings or classes.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who follows their progress, sets learning targets and keeps in touch with parents. Families can consult their child's progress file whenever they wish. This gives parents an identified practitioner to discuss development with, and access to the detail behind those discussions.

In November 2022, parent consultations covered children's learning, and social evenings addressed subjects including toilet training and preparation for school. Families also joined autumn walks. Communication therefore included practical discussion about routines at home as well as development within the nursery.

Moves between rooms received attention in November 2022, with staff working together to support children through the change. Familiar routines helped structure the day: singing signalled lunchtime for babies. For families considering a room move, that is a useful example of how staff made a change understandable to very young children.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities making excellent progress; staff understood how to recognise and report concerns, and recruitment and risk assessment arrangements supported children's safety.

Everyday independence also featured in November 2022. Children helped themselves to lunch, cleared their plates and practised hygiene routines. Family photographs supported conversations about what made each child individual. Before walks, children practised crossing safely; using a handrail on stairs was another practical safety habit.

Sleep arrangements vary with age. Babies have cots in a designated area within Caterpillar room, while the carpeted Butterfly space also accommodates afternoon naps. That makes the relationship between play space and sleeping space a worthwhile part of a family's visit.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 3 Church Hill, Loughton, Essex, IG10 1QP. Opening hours run from 7.30am until 6.30pm on weekdays; the nursery operates throughout the year and closes on bank holidays. This broad opening window is useful for parents whose working day extends beyond school hours.

Church Hill enquiries can be made by telephone on 020 8508 1888 or by email to admissions@chrysalisnursery.co.uk. Use the Church Hill address when making contact, as Chrysalis also operates other premises.

Getting There

Families may use the adjacent Loughton Cricket Club car park, which accommodates approximately 15 cars. That provides a practical parking option for journeys to Church Hill.

• Planning beyond toddlerhood. Church Hill's rooms centre on babies and children under three, and in November 2022 children moved to a separately registered preschool nearby at three. At a visit, ask how the nursery would plan your child's move and which premises would provide their next stage of care.
• Baby-room sleep. Caterpillar room has a designated cot area. During a visit, discuss how sleeping routines and the organisation of the room would work for your baby.
• Attendance and costs. The weekday opening window extends from 7.30am to 6.30pm. What booking pattern, funded-hours arrangement and charges for meals or consumables would apply to your planned attendance?

Chrysalis suits families seeking baby and toddler care with clearly described room environments, garden access and weekly signing sessions for its youngest rooms. The November 2022 judgement gives it a strong inspection position, supported by concrete examples of language-rich activities and practical independence at that time.

For a baby, the sensory area, cots and shaded garden are the clearest attractions. For a mobile toddler, the room-to-garden connection and adapted toilet facilities become more relevant. Families planning several years ahead should give particular attention to the move from Church Hill into preschool provision.