Squirrels Pre-School
Day nursery in Colchester, CO4. Part of the Essex council area.
Highwoods Surgery, Highwoods Square, Highwoods, Colchester, CO4 9SRWhat Ofsted found
Good Inspected 2 July 2025
| Judgement | Grade |
|---|---|
| Overall effectiveness | Good |
| Quality of education | Good |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
The second of the four grades: a good standard of care and learning. Ofsted now gives report cards instead, so this grade stays until the next inspection.
What a place could cost
Squirrels Pre-School sets its own prices. These are the averages for day nurseries in East of England, for 50 hours a week in term time once the 30 funded hours are taken off.
| Child's age | You pay a week | About a month |
|---|---|---|
| From 9 months to 2 | £155 | £489 |
| 2 years old | £141 | £446 |
| 3 to 4 years old | £135 | £428 |
A month here is 38 term-time weeks spread over 12 months. Work out your own hours or check your free hours.
Squirrels Pre-School against Colchester
| Squirrels Pre-School | Colchester average | |
|---|---|---|
| Places | 26 | 61 |
| Ofsted outcome | Good | 92% rated Good or better |
Other nurseries close by
Questions parents ask about Squirrels Pre-School
- What Ofsted grade does Squirrels Pre-School have?
- Squirrels Pre-School was rated Good at its inspection on 2 July 2025, under the grading Ofsted used before report cards.
- How many children can Squirrels Pre-School take?
- Ofsted registers Squirrels Pre-School for 26 places at any one time. The average day nursery in Colchester has 61.
- How much does Squirrels Pre-School cost?
- Squirrels Pre-School sets its own fees, so ask it for a price list. As a guide, the average nursery in East of England charges £192 a week for 25 hours for a child under 2, before any free hours.
- Does Squirrels Pre-School offer 30 hours free childcare?
- Any nursery on the Ofsted Early Years Register can offer the funded hours, but each one chooses how many funded places it has and what it charges for meals and extras. Ask Squirrels Pre-School how it offers them.
- When was Squirrels Pre-School last inspected?
- Ofsted last inspected Squirrels Pre-School on 2 July 2025. The full report is on the Ofsted website.
- Which nurseries are near Squirrels Pre-School?
- Nearby in CO4: Busy Bees Day Nursery at Colchester Severalls Business Park, Nannas Day Nurseries, Chesterwell Day Nursery.
Nursery list and inspection outcomes from Ofsted's register of childcare providers, as at 30 June 2026.
Fees shown are regional averages from the Coram Family and Childcare Survey 2026, not any one nursery’s price. Confirm with the nursery before enrolling.
Eligibility rules are the government’s (childcarechoices.gov.uk). Whether a nursery offers the funded hours, and what it charges for meals and consumables, is the nursery’s decision; ask for its funded-hours terms in writing.