Clever Cloggs Nursery Takeley

In October 2024, a herb garden linked cooking activities with outdoor learning at Clever Cloggs Nursery Takeley. There are also two enclosed gardens with safety flooring, while aspects of Forest School add hands-on experiences in a natural, wooded environment. Physical activity has its place alongside stories and making things.

At its October 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. The improvement point was precise: staff needed to give children more room to think through problems themselves. That matters alongside the positive picture of relationships and learning, because an adult's helpful intervention can sometimes cut short a child's own discovery.

The nursery is at 26 Honey Road in Little Canfield, Takeley, CM6 1FF, and accepts children aged two to 60 months, with capacity for 126 children in total. Before and after school care also serves older children.

Rooms and Ages

Babies Room, 2-3's Room and Pre-school Room give families the nursery's room structure. The useful distinction is between provision for the youngest children and the later stages of nursery life; these names should not be read as a statement about how many children share a room.

In October 2024, babies practised moving around furniture and taking early steps, with songs and signing accompanying their developing speech. Younger children also worked dough with feathers, sticks and eyes to make owls. That single activity brought together hand control, counting and words for body parts, rather than treating those as separate lessons.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play, conversation, stories and physical exploration contribute to the nursery day. Alongside it, the nursery incorporates aspects of Forest School, involving hands-on learning in a woodland setting. Its practical appeal is the opportunity to explore natural surroundings as well as indoor resources.

Stories, poetry and rhymes are part of the offer, and children have opportunities to encounter basic French. Cooking and nature study sit alongside art and music. For preschool children, finding and using resources independently is also part of preparation for the organisation of a classroom, giving practical meaning to school preparation rather than reducing it to early academic work.

In October 2024, adults introduced unfamiliar vocabulary during play and explained what new words meant. Sensory materials encouraged children to investigate smells and textures, while climbing equipment supported balance and strength. Football and dance sessions were also part of children's experience at that time, adding organised movement to their physical play.

Outdoor and Community Life

Two enclosed gardens provide outdoor space equipped for different ages. Their safety flooring is a concrete feature for families weighing the physical environment, while outdoor play and aspects of Forest School give children different ways to use their bodies and explore.

In October 2024, the herb garden connected growing food with cooking activities. Children, families and staff had contributed ideas to the outdoor redesign. The result was a practical resource children could use, as well as an example of family involvement shaping the space.

Relationships receive attention alongside activities. In October 2024, adults played with children, shared their enjoyment and helped them settle; conversations with parents also supported children's development and wellbeing. For a parent, the practical value lies in staff connecting what happens at nursery with what is happening at home.

At the October 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received good support, with staff seeking professional advice and training, and that the curriculum supported good progress. Those are dated judgements about practice, rather than a blanket promise about any individual child's experience.

In October 2024, children explored feelings and ways to express them, with boundaries adjusted to their age. However, adults sometimes gave children too little time to answer questions or completed tasks for them. Giving children time to respond was therefore an important next step, especially where independence and problem-solving were the purpose of the activity.

A full-time chef works with menus from The Professional Nursery Kitchen, including vegetarian and vegan choices. Alternative meals accommodate intolerances or religious beliefs, making individual dietary arrangements a practical part of care.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and Christmas; those opening hours describe the working window rather than a particular session booking.

Before and after school care includes school drop-off and afternoon collection for children up to 11 years old. After returning to nursery, children receive a hot meal followed by pudding. This is a separate practical consideration for families coordinating nursery care with an older child's school day.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded sessions are offered for eligible two-, three- and four-year-olds. Eligibility remains part of that offer, so families should distinguish entitlement from the attendance arrangement they want to purchase. Current prices belong in the nursery's written quotation.

The address is 26 Honey Road, Little Canfield, Takeley, Essex CM6 1FF. A Book a Visit route provides a direct way to arrange an introduction to the setting.

• Time to think. The October 2024 improvement point concerned adults stepping in before children had enough opportunity to respond or finish a task. At a visit, ask how practitioners now give children time to work out their own answers.
• Attendance and funding together. Opening hours span the working day, and eligible two-, three- and four-year-olds can use funded sessions. Ask which booking pattern would meet your family's needs and how meals, consumables and additional hours would be treated in the written quotation.
• Care across different ages. Nursery provision sits alongside before and after school care for children up to 11. Families using both should consider how the school collection arrangement fits their children's routines.

Clever Cloggs suits families seeking nursery care with outdoor exploration, cooking and practical preparation for school, as well as those needing before and after school care for an older child. Aspects of Forest School and the gardens give the offer a recognisable outdoor element; the herb garden observed in October 2024 illustrated learning connected to everyday life. The Good judgement from October 2024 supports that picture, with the important qualification that children needed more time to solve problems independently.