Truly Scrumptious Early Years Nursery, Ongar

A theatre for children’s shows, Spanish taught through play and a separate sensory/sleep room for toddlers give Truly Scrumptious Early Years Nursery, Ongar a recognisable character. Beside the Zinc Arts Centre in Chipping Ongar, its offer combines performance, languages and spaces for quieter care. Those are useful differences for families weighing what their child’s day will actually contain.

The nursery accepts children from 3 months to 5 years and has 45 places in total. The July 2022 overall judgement was Good, as were the judgements for education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. That is a dated assessment of quality, rather than a guarantee about every subsequent nursery day.

Babies have a separate carpeted room, while the toddler and preschool spaces contain wooden and natural materials.

Rooms and Ages

The baby room serves the youngest children in a separate, airy, carpeted space described for ages 0 to 2, giving babies a room apart from the older children’s activities. The toddler room has wooden and natural resources plus its own separate sensory/sleep room, providing a quieter space alongside play. The pre-school room also uses wooden and natural resources within a spacious room, giving older children materials to handle and explore.

Across the Ongar setting, named areas include the Toddler Construction Area, Music Corner and Mud Kitchen. These give concrete shape to the play offer: building, sound and messy play have identifiable places within the environment. They are more informative than a general promise of stimulating activities.

In July 2022, babies practised pulling themselves upright to reach a water tray and wash dolls. Staff responded to their sounds with conversation, while older children discussed ideas, arranged games and chose books. The examples show how physical movement and communication could develop together during ordinary play, rather than only in an adult-led activity.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the statutory framework for learning, development and care. In July 2022, children explored through play and revisited knowledge through activities designed by staff. It is the common foundation for early years provision. At Ongar, languages and movement add specific activities alongside that foundation.

Weekly French lessons, sports lessons and baby yoga are part of the branch’s offer. The group-wide Speak Like A Native Spanish programme uses stories, movement, imaginative play, rhymes and songs to introduce another language. The nursery announced these sessions for babies, toddlers and preschool children from September 2025. The concrete distinction is the way language is introduced through activities children can join, rather than a formal lesson format.

In July 2022, activities followed children’s interests and events around them. Staff returned to knowledge children had already encountered and gave them opportunities to use it again. For parents, that is a useful picture of learning built into repeated experiences: an interest becomes something to explore, remember and share.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden and Mud Kitchen extend the play spaces outdoors. In July 2022, children searched beneath stones and in compost for small creatures, using magnifying glasses to examine what they discovered. Ball games provided a different kind of outdoor activity, with throwing, catching and working together.

Access to a theatre supports end-of-year performances and Christmas shows for parents, as well as summer graduation for children moving to Reception. These are occasions for families to share in nursery life, with a physical performance space behind them. The nearby Epping Ongar Steam Train Station and high street also place the setting close to recognisable parts of Chipping Ongar; proximity does not imply organised nursery visits.

Relationships mattered in the July 2022 nursery day. Staff knew children through the key-person arrangement, helped them take turns and supported them in expressing feelings. At snack time, children practised serving themselves and waiting for others. These small routines gave independence a practical form.

At the July 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support strong, with interventions checked closely and collaboration with speech and language specialists helping staff tailor support. Those findings concern the care delivered at that visit. They are especially relevant to families whose choice depends on how adults respond to an individual child’s needs.

Ongar has SEND coordinator roles and referral contacts within Essex County Council. These give families an identified route for discussing additional needs.

The Ongar team includes baby and toddler room leaders, nursery cooks and designated safeguarding lead roles. All Ongar staff have paediatric first aid and safeguarding training. These are care arrangements, rather than proof of safeguarding effectiveness; the dated inspection judgement supplies that assessment.

The toddler room’s separate sensory/sleep room is a useful practical detail for children who still need daytime rest. In July 2022, parents received feedback about settling, experiences and next learning steps, helping them connect nursery activities with life at home. That dated example is more useful than assuming that communication works identically for every family today.

Ongar’s Autumn Menu runs through Week 1, Week 2 and Week 3, with dishes including chicken and leek pie and mango chicken curry.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Zinc Arts Centre, Great Stony, Ongar, CM5 0AD; the branch also uses High Street, Chipping Ongar in its address. Its opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with bank holidays and a week at Christmas excluded.

Ongar enquiries can be made on 01277 368 362 or through the branch contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

In July 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. That describes provision at the time of the visit.

At Ongar, attendance beyond hours covered by funding carries an additional hourly charge. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Working-day fit. Ongar opens from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays and closes on bank holidays and for a week at Christmas. During a visit, discuss which booking arrangement fits your working hours and collection routine.
• Teaching development. In July 2022, staff development needed a sharper emphasis on improving teaching skills. During a visit, ask how training now translates into activities and adult interaction in your child’s room.
• Rest and individual care. Toddlers have a separate sensory/sleep room, and Ongar has SEND coordinator roles. Discuss your child’s sleep routine and, where relevant, how an individual support plan would work across play, rest and communication with home.

Truly Scrumptious Ongar suits families seeking language activities, theatre performances and natural play materials for their children. The separate baby room and toddler sensory/sleep room are useful physical details for younger children.

The July 2022 Good judgement provides a positive inspection reference, balanced by the need to strengthen teaching development. The weekday opening window and Christmas closure also matter for families organising work around nursery care.