Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre

Saffron Walden County High School, Audley End Road, Saffron Walden CB11 4UH
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9.0 92 Reviews
  • Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre, Saffron Walden
A WELCOMING AND RURAL NURSERY IN SAFFRON WALDEN.

The bright, inspiring nursery in Saffron Walden provides exceptional care and education to children from 3 months to 5 years.

They focus on understanding every child’s unique personality and interests, and use these to encourage learning and exploring. Each room features age-appropriate toys, activities and equipment to inspire children’s natural curiosity. The children particularly enjoy the reading nooks, dedicated art corner and building blocks, as well as taking part in imaginative play in the construction role-play area.

The nursery also practices Growing Enhancements – a unique Ready for School programme focusing on reading, writing and mathematics – to support your child in their transition from nursery to school. Growing Enhancements also include Creative Cooks, Active Athletes and Growing Artists, allowing your child to express their creative side and discover new passions.

Outside, Saffron Walden Crocus has plenty of space to discover nature. There are climbing frames, raised beds for gardening, tricycles, an up-and-over tunnel and various outdoor games – all sectioned into age-appropriate gardens and surrounded by greenery.

The nursery is located on the grounds of a secure school location with gated entry and ample onsite nursery parking. The nursery has great links to local bus routes and all-inclusive fees feature nappies, wipes, meals and snacks – giving you less to pack on busy mornings.

The team at the nursery would love to meet you and your child, so book a visit today and the team will show you all the nursery has to offer during your own personal tour.
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Funding & Fees

Contact Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre to get a personalised quote.

Contact Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre to get a personalised quote.

Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Sarah (Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 31

Total Places for Children

  • 85

Age Range

  • from 0 years 3 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:00
    Tuesday 07:30-18:00
    Wednesday 07:30-18:00
    Thursday 07:30-18:00
    Friday 07:30-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre Reviews (92)

9.0

Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre has a Review Score of 9.0 (9.025) out of 10, based on 9 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre has 92 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Reviewer Connection to Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre
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Total of 92, showing 1-20
Review from L D (Mother of Child) published on 18 February 2026 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Lovely nursery, all the staff are really friendly, supportive and caring
My son settled in well and really enjoys his days here and all the activities they provide for him, especially the amount of time spent outdoors including the opportunity for forest school.
Reply from Sarah Walker, Web Editor at Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years CentreThank you for your lovely feedback. We're so pleased to hear how well your son has settled and how much he enjoys the activities, especially his time outdoors and at forest school. We truly appreciate your kind words and your trust in us.
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Review from Nick C (Father of Child) published on 11 February 2026 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The nursery has been like a second home to our son. Not just day care but a place where he has found best friends, caring and attentive staff and a safe environment for him to learn and play. We couldn't recommend it enough.
Reply from Sarah Walker, Web Editor at Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years CentreThank you for your wonderful review! We're so happy to hear your little one feels so at home and supported, and that the nursery has been a place for friendships, learning and fun. Your kind words and recommendation mean so much to our whole team
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Review from Dan F (Father of Child) published on 11 February 2026 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Great nursery and great staff, always keeps us updated with any information needed. My daughter has come on a long way since being there and she really enjoys going. It's a struggle to get her home some days.
Reply from Sarah Walker, Web Editor at Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years CentreThank you for your lovely review! We're so pleased to hear how much your little one has grown and how much she enjoys her time with us. It's wonderful that you feel well-updated and supported. Your kind words mean so much to our team.
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Review from J R (Mother of Child) published on 11 February 2026 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fabulous nursery. The staff are all so lovely and I'm so impressed by the food menu. My now 6 year old who graduated over a year ago still talks about how good the food was! I think they strike a good balance with stretching the development and nurturing the children.
Reply from Sarah Walker, Web Editor at Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years CentreThank you for your lovely review! We're so happy to hear how much you've enjoyed your experience and that both the menu and the balance of care and development have stood out. We truly appreciate your kind words.
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Review from Egle S (Mother of Child) published on 6 February 2026 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
10/10 experience. The staff are absolutely lovely-friendly, supportive, and genuinely caring. My child is thriving here, which says everything. It's a safe, nurturing environment with excellent, balanced meals and loads of fun, themed activities celebrating different events. The forest school is a huge
bonus.
Overall, an outstanding nursery that I'd highly recommend to any parent.
Reply from Sarah Walker, Web Editor at Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years CentreThank you for your wonderful review. We're delighted to hear your child is thriving and enjoying the caring team, tasty meals, themed activities, and forest school. Your kind words mean so much to us, and we truly appreciate your recommendation.
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Review from J B (Mother of Child) published on 29 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Wonderful staff who go above and beyond to make sure my two are happy there. Lots of activities that keep them busy all day! They both enjoy the food and are making lots of friends - definitely an enriching experience for them.
Reply from Amanda Barlow, The Parent Team at Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years CentreThank you for your kind feedback. We're so pleased to hear your children are happy, busy, and enjoying their time with us. It's lovely to know they're enjoying the food and building friendships too.
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Review from M K (Mother of Child) published on 29 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are so happy with our experience of this nursery. Staff are warm, friendly and really caring towards our son who goes here. We have enjoyed seeing the variety of activities the children do via the app. It has also been very helpful seeing what he eats and when, as well as naps and nappies. Would
highly recommend.
Reply from Amanda Barlow, The Parent Team at Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years CentreThank you for your lovely feedback. We're so pleased to hear that you've had such a positive experience and that our team's care and attention have made a difference to your son's time with us. Thank you for your recommendation.
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Review from Bethany S (Mother of Child) published on 18 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son loves the nursery and staff. The app is great for keeping us updated, the food is brilliant and he also says the chef is fun. Very happy with communication and all staff, especially pre school room.
Reply from Amanda Barlow, The Parent Team at Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years CentreThank you for your lovely review! We're so glad your son loves the nursery and our team. It's great to hear you appreciate the app, communication, and even our fun chef!
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Review from Cami S (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter is in the toddler room at the Saffron Walden branch of Bright Horizons, where she began her nursery journey at the beginning of March.
I cannot sing the praises of the staff enough. They have made me and my partner feel at total ease for something we were quite anxious about. My daughter
is absolutely loving her time there, she runs in each morning and has the best day and is always happy when she comes home after a day of fun activities and lots of time in the lovely garden. Communication from staff to parent is second to none always updated on time via the app, and I love seeing my daughter eating healthy and nutritious meals every day. Bright Horizons is a wonderful nursery, I am so pleased we were lucky enough to get a place there and I look forward to her continuing to thrive each week. Thanks so much to the wonderful team that put in such hard work to make it such a lovely homely setting!
Reply from Amanda Barlow, Campaigns & Digital Marketing Executive at Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years CentreThank you for your wonderful feedback! We're thrilled to hear about your positive experience with Bright Horizons Saffron Walden. We're glad you appreciate our communication efforts through the app and that you can see your daughter enjoying healthy and nutritious meals.
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Review from Kate G (Mother of Child) published on 2 February 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
It’s a scary thought, leaving your child with people when you’re not there, but straightaway we were put at ease by the warm, friendly and caring staff at Bright Horizons. The connection I see the staff have with our daughter is lovely. I really feel like she’s in good hands and she’s comfortable and
trusts the surroundings she’s in. The communication from the nursery is great. We hear about her development and see photos of various activities.
Picking a nursery is tough but we are really happy to be with Bright Horizons.
Staff are kind and understanding. Highly recommended by us.
Reply from Amanda Barlow, Campaigns & Digital Marketing Executive at Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years CentreHello, thank you for your five-star feedback and for sharing your experience with us. Thank you for your recommendation.
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Review from Chelsea F (Mother of Child) published on 2 February 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both of my children have been with these lovely ladies since 9 months old:
I now have one in toddler room and one in pre-school.
My children have progressed massively since being there. I would recommend this nursery to everyone and anyone.
From education to healthy eating they really do go above
and beyond. They work closely to meet every child’s needs also the parents. Nothing is too much.
Reply from Amanda Barlow, Campaigns & Digital Marketing Executive at Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years CentreHello, thank you for your five-star feedback and for sharing your experience with us.
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Review from Joanna K (Mother of Child) published on 28 September 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Very impressed with bright horizons, they have been brilliant with our son, really helping to bring him out of his shell. They’re always very reassuring and keep us well updated about his activities and how he’s getting on. The staff are always very friendly, would definitely recommend.
Reply from Amanda Barlow, Marketing and Campaigns Executive at Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years CentreThank you so much for your positive feedback! It is our pleasure caring for your son. Thank you for choosing our nursery.
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Review from Mandeep S (Father of Child) published on 28 September 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Great place for a child. Everyone is fantastic. They look after everything. Great staff. My kids started in 2020 and he loves going there. Food is also very hygienic, they take care of it. Highly recommended.
Reply from Amanda Barlow, Marketing and Campaigns Executive at Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years CentreThank you so much for your positive feedback! Thank you for choosing our nursery.
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Review from Pete N (Father of Child) published on 17 August 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I couldn't speak more highly of the management and entire staff at Bright Horizons Saffron Walden - every single person that has looked after or interacted with our daughter has been fantastic right through the baby room to preschool (even during the pandemic when despite times being really tough for
the staff, it was clear that the kids came first always). You can see from drop off / pick up times how happy all the children at Bright Horizons are, and my daughter thinks of / speaks about her teachers almost as her friends. They give close support, kindness and encouragement to her and regularly keep us updated via the app on her daily activities/progress. I also love how they empower her, giving her opportunities to take the lead in helping to organise activities, look after her friends, tidy up etc. She is just about to leave for school and is a really happy, confident girl. So grateful to the team.
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Review from Emma B (Mother of Child) published on 8 August 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff here are lovely. Nothing is too much trouble. My little boy is so well looked after and has a lovely time. He needs reassurance when he first arrives and the staff are always ready with a cuddle for him.
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Review from Jules S (Mother of Child) published on 16 May 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our boy has been going to Bright Horizons, since September 2021. He is currently in the preschool room. When he first started, he was quiet, not very confident and quite a shy little boy. Since his time at Bright Horizons, he has grown in so many areas, his confidence has grown massively and he interacts,
not only with the children but with the adults there too. His speech and words have come on a lot and he now knows his alphabet and numbers really well. Our son is always excited about going to school and never has he felt unsettled or uneasy going into nursery. He will miss Bright Horizons when he has to leave in July to start his journey in big school. We, as parents to our son, have loved watching him grow as a person and could not recommend Bright Horizons enough. The staff and management have been brilliant and always try to cater for your needs and your child’s needs, in the best way possible.
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Review from Cristina G (Mother of Child) published on 23 August 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Crocus team not only look after your child. They look after your whole family mental wellbeing.
At this nursery, I've found the most helpful team on my nearly 6 years of childcare experience as a mum.
I had my oldest son in another Bright Horizons nursery before and I was already happy with them.
When we move to Saffron Walden a year ago, I was confident I'd be happy having my youngest at the nursery... But my expectations were never this high. My daughter has been there since last September. When she started here... I thought she was going to struggle, as she changed house, city, environment and nursery in a blink of time. She had doubts about going inside the first day... And that was all it took. So on top of being the happiest girl we had a little (massive) issue when our payments got "lost". Imagine the stress. But the manager found out the problem and help with the resolution rapidly. All is under such a great control and knowledge that I would vote her for PM... It is a great safe place for everyone!
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Review from Charlotte G (Mother of Child) published on 23 August 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little boy has just left Bright Horizon Saffron Walden. He has spent the last year there. I can not recommend this nursery enough, everyone is so lovely and helpful, always there when you need them. It’s been a tough year for little ones and they made it feel somewhere they can still go and have
fun, my little boy used to count down the days till he went back.
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Review from Zoe C (Mother of Child) published on 8 August 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend - I had both my children in the toddler and preschool room and my youngest in the baby room as well so have been using the nursery for a few years. I found it miles better than another I tried and have been really happy with the care of all the staff and impressed with
the responsiveness of the management when communicating. I was confident both my children were safe and happy when there and staff worked hard to ensure they felt as secure and content as possible. I would highly recommend it.
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Review from Emma S (Mother of Child) published on 8 July 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter joined the nursery in February 2021 needing 121 care during her 2 year funded hours there. Going to nursery has done so much for her confidence, and knowing she is mixing with other children and having fun is all I've ever wanted as her mummy! She had a difficult start in life but you wouldn't
believe it now! She's come so far during her time at nursery, and I love hearing what she's been up to when it is time to come home! I couldn't ask for a better team to be looking after her!
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Current Review Score: 9.0 (9.025)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.0 (9.025) out of 10 for Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.8 out of 5 from 9 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.2 out of 5 from 9 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.796 for Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre is calculated as follows: ( (86 Excellents x 5) + (22 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 108 Ratings = 4.796
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 4.229 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre is based on 9 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 20 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews, 0.05 Points for the next five Positive Reviews, and finally 0.025 Points for the next ten Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.050, 7th = 0.050, 8th = 0.050, 9th = 0.050, 10th = 0.050, 11th = 0.025, 12th = 0.025, 13th = 0.025, 14th = 0.025, 15th = 0.025, 16th = 0.025, 17th = 0.025, 18th = 0.025, 19th = 0.025, 20th = 0.025) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 = 3.7
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 85 number of registered child places is 17. 9 Positive Reviews ÷ 17 = 0.529
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

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Awards / Recognitions (5)

Meet the Team (1)

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Sarah

Job Title: Deputy Manager

Sarah is excited to be joining the team as Nursery Manager and has a passion for early years and enjoys watching children learn and grow as they engage in activities inspired by their own interests and experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre

What is the Age Range of Children that Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre accepts?

Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre Open?

Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre is open: Monday 07:30-18:00, Tuesday 07:30-18:00, Wednesday 07:30-18:00, Thursday 07:30-18:00, Friday 07:30-18:00.

How many Children does Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre have capacity for?

Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre has capacity for a total of 85 Children.

How far is Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre to the centre of Saffron Walden?

0.6 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Bright Horizons Saffron Walden Crocus Early Years Centre has an Enhanced Service - more info.