# Little Darwins Nursery

Little Darwins Nursery is a full-day nursery at Rettendon School, Main Road, Rettendon Common, CHELMSFORD, CM3 8DW, in Rettendon and Runwell, Essex. It is registered for 85 children. Ofsted rated it Outstanding at its inspection in July 2023, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025. It has a Google rating of 5.0 from 1 review (November 2026).

Page: https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/little-darwins-nursery-ey416623  
Last checked 4 November 2026.

## At a glance

- Type: Full-day nursery
- Address: Rettendon School, Main Road, Rettendon Common, CHELMSFORD, CM3 8DW
- Registered places: 85
- Phone: 01268 769599
- Website: http://www.littledarwins.co.uk/
- Ofsted URN: EY416623

## Ofsted and official records

Ofsted rated it Outstanding at its inspection on 27 July 2023, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.

- Quality of education: Outstanding
- Behaviour and attitudes: Outstanding
- Personal development: Outstanding
- Leadership and management: Outstanding

Safeguarding effective.

Report: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY416623

Official records:

- Ofsted registration: Registered since February 2011 (Reference EY416623). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY416623)
- Inspections on record: 1 inspection (latest 27 July 2023). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY416623)
- Registered places: 85 places (the most children it may care for at once). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY416623)
- Food hygiene rating: 5 (Very good) (inspected 9 December 2025). Source: Food Standards Agency, checked 13 November 2026 (https://ratings.food.gov.uk/business/620835)

## Fees

Fees, hours and ages: not published yet.

## Hours and ages

Opening hours and ages: not published yet.

## Getting there

Address: Rettendon School, Main Road, Rettendon Common, CHELMSFORD, CM3 8DW

Directions: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=51.637844,0.557694

- Station: Battlesbridge, 1.0 miles
- 2 bus stops within 400 m

NaPTAN, Department for Transport, checked 13 November 2026.

## Places and next steps

Spaces: not published yet.

In Essex there are about 2.9 children under 5 for every registered nursery place. Places are how many children nurseries may care for, not free spaces. Source: ONS Census 2021.

When to apply: https://toddly.co.uk/when-to-apply-for-nursery

## Ratings

- Google: 5.0 out of 5 from 1 review (as of 4 November 2026)

## Nearby schools

Distances are in a straight line.

| School | Phase | Ages | Ofsted | Nursery class | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rettendon Primary School | Primary | 4–11 | Good (April 2023) |  | under 0.1 miles |
| St Luke's Park Primary School | Primary | 4–11 | Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Good; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Good (May 2025) |  | 0.7 miles |
| Hilltop Junior School | Primary | 7–11 | Report card (June 2026) |  | 1.7 miles |
| Hilltop Infant School | Primary | 2–7 | Quality of education: Outstanding; Behaviour and attitudes: Outstanding; Personal development: Outstanding; Leadership and management: Outstanding (November 2024) | yes | 1.7 miles |
| Runwell Community Primary School | Primary | 2–11 | Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Requires improvement; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Good (December 2024) | yes | 1.8 miles |
| Beauchamps High School | Secondary | 11–18 | Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Good; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Good (January 2025) |  | 1.8 miles |

## Nearby nurseries

| Nursery | Ofsted | Day fee from | Hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Safari Childcare Runwell Limited](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/safari-childcare-runwell-limited-2712365) | Good |  |  | 0.7 miles |
| [Canopy St Luke's Chapel](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/canopy-st-lukes-chapel-2856321) |  |  |  | 0.8 miles |
| [Bishop's Forest Pre School](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/bishops-forest-pre-school-2855158) |  |  |  | 1.4 miles |
| [Runwell Village Preschool](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/runwell-village-preschool-ey445639) | Good |  |  | 1.6 miles |
| [Rainbow Pre-school Wickford](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/rainbow-pre-school-wickford-402297) | Good |  |  | 1.7 miles |
| [The Day Nursery](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/the-day-nursery-ey367083) | Good |  |  | 1.9 miles |

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Little Darwins Nursery's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Little Darwins Nursery Outstanding at its inspection on 27 July 2023, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.

### How many children can Little Darwins Nursery take?

Little Darwins Nursery is registered with Ofsted for up to 85 children at any one time.

### What is the nearest station to Little Darwins Nursery?

Battlesbridge is the nearest station we know of, 1.0 miles away in a straight line.

### How do I contact Little Darwins Nursery?

You can call 01268 769599 and visit www.littledarwins.co.uk.

## Sources

- Registration and inspections: Ofsted, as of 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY416623)
- Rating and review themes: Google, as of 4 November 2026 (https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Little+Darwins&query_place_id=ChIJOS5x4NfC2EcRRqsj4qjeQjw)
- Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools, as of 4 November 2026 (https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.