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Nurseries in Saffron Walden

There are 18 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Saffron Walden, and 10 other childcare settings such as out-of-school clubs.

Inspection grades in Saffron Walden

  • Ofsted report cards: 1 setting (2 Expected standard, 4 Needs attention)
  • Ofsted grades before November 2025: 15 settings (5 Outstanding, 10 Good)

Grades are shown only where the inspectorate has published the report.

Nurseries and pre-schools

  • Ashdon Childrens Nursery - Day nursery, Saffron Walden CB10 2ET, ages 0 to 4, 79 places
    Ofsted, 3 July 2024: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Bell Day Nursery Community Interest Company - Day nursery, Saffron Walden CB11 3ED, ages 0 to 3, 73 places
    Ofsted, 10 June 2025: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Bell Day Pre-school - Day nursery, Saffron Walden CB11 3EG, ages 3 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted, 16 May 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Busy Bees Childcare Centre - Pre-school, Saffron Walden CB10 2YA, ages 2 to 4, 40 places
    Ofsted, 2 October 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Clavering & Arkesden Preschool - Day nursery, Saffron Walden CB11 4PE, ages 2 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted, 7 February 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Crocus Early Years Centre - Day nursery, Saffron Walden CB11 4UH, ages 0 to 4, 85 places
    Ofsted, 15 November 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Debden Barns Day Nursery - Day nursery, Saffron Walden CB11 3JY, 90 places
  • Kids R Us Sanger - Pre-school, Saffron Walden CB10 1SA, 55 places
  • Meadows Montessori - Day nursery, Saffron Walden CB11 4DU, ages 2 to 4, 35 places
    Ofsted, 21 February 2025: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Olivers Lodge - Newport - Day nursery, Saffron Walden CB11 3PU, ages 0 to 3, 25 places
    Ofsted, 7 February 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Olivers Lodge - Newport - Pre-school, Saffron Walden CB11 3PU, ages 3 to 11, 30 places
    Ofsted, 23 February 2024: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Olivers Lodge - Saffron Walden - Day nursery, Saffron Walden CB10 1BQ, ages 1 to 10, 30 places
    Ofsted report card, 29 January 2026: Expected standard in 2 areas, Needs attention in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Saffron Walden Nursery School - Day nursery, Saffron Walden CB11 3AQ, ages 0 to 4, 49 places
    Ofsted, 24 April 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Stephen Perse Nurseries - Dame Bradbury's - Day nursery, Saffron Walden CB10 2AL, ages 1 to 2, 41 places
    Ofsted, 21 October 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • St. Thomas More Montessori Pre School - Day nursery, Saffron Walden CB11 3DW, ages 1 to 4, 34 places
    Ofsted, 17 May 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • The Chesterfords Community Preschool - Day nursery, Saffron Walden CB10 1NS, ages 2 to 4, 30 places
    Ofsted, 8 October 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Wendens Ambo Pre School - Pre-school, Saffron Walden CB11 4JX, ages 2 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted, 21 November 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Westwood Montessori - Day nursery, Saffron Walden CB10 2SA, ages 1 to 4, 44 places
    Ofsted, 13 June 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective

Out-of-school clubs and other childcare

  • Ashdon Activity Club - Out-of-school club, Saffron Walden CB10 2HB
  • Buffy Playbus - Childcare setting, Saffron Walden CB11 4XB
  • Club Excel at Dame Bradbury's School - Out-of-school club, Saffron Walden CB10 2AL, 120 places
  • Debden Breakfast Club - Out-of-school club, Saffron Walden CB11 3LE
  • Junior Adventures Group @ Lord Butler CB11 - Out-of-school club, Saffron Walden CB11 3EG
  • Prestige Wraparound Great Sampford - Out-of-school club, Saffron Walden CB10 2RL, 15 places
  • R A B Late Play Club - Out-of-school club, Saffron Walden CB11 3DG, 80 places
  • Rickling After School Club - Out-of-school club, Saffron Walden CB11 3YG
  • Stagecoach Saffron Walden - Out-of-school club, Saffron Walden CB11 3TR
  • Willows - Out-of-school club, Saffron Walden CB11 4PE, 30 places

Nursery groups with settings here

Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)

Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.

The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.

Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.

Source: Ofsted reports

Ofsted grades before November 2025 (England)

Inspections before November 2025 gave one overall grade on a four-point scale: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement, Inadequate. Ofsted also graded the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, and said whether safeguarding was effective.

Settings keep their last grade until Ofsted visits again, so many nurseries still show a grade from this older scale.

Source: Ofsted reports

Funded childcare hours in England

All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.

Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.

Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.

The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.

Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)

Council area

Schools in Saffron Walden

Sources: Ofsted, registers as at 30 June 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.