Orchard Barn Stratford St Mary

6 The Row, Higham Road, Stratford St Mary, Colchester CO7 6JU
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9.9 47 Reviews
  • Orchard Barn Stratford St Mary, Colchester
Orchard Barns Stratford St Mary is a beautiful nursery providing care and education for children aged 3 months to 5 years from Monday to Friday 8 am to 6 pm.

The Nursery’s approach goes above and beyond the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to foster deep-level learning and optimise potential.

They offer a range of unique educational experiences that enable children to become successful, lifelong learners including, Wake Up and Shake Up, a range of bespoke activities that promote your child’s well-being and confidence, and Garden Champions. They also have weekly Rhythm Time sessions run by an outside company.

Garden Champions is the Nursery's own bespoke Above and Beyond Educational Experience gardening activity. This activity extends children’s knowledge of the outdoor environment, habitats, caring for living things, growth cycles, and growing vegetation outdoors.

The Garden Champion activities are an effective method of harnessing the children’s curiosity in this area and shaping their understanding of the world around them. Staff are supported to deliver these sessions through The Royal Horticultural Society’s School Gardening Awards scheme.

The garden at Stratford St Mary has undergone a major refurbishment which was finished in mid-December. The children are now benefitting from an enhanced and exciting outdoor space.

The Nursery Chef prepares all the children’s meals fresh on the premises each day, and the menus have been designed using the latest nutritional software to ensure they are nutritionally balanced, as well as delicious.

The dedicated staff team supports children to fulfil their potential through a range of engaging experiences and learning opportunities, which are tailored to each child’s own developmental needs and interests, ensuring they are fully prepared for their next steps in education.
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Funding & Fees

Fees include all food, nappies, wipes, sun cream etc.
Please contact us for a copy of our current fees or for any information on funding.

Fees include all food, nappies, wipes, sun cream etc.
Please contact us for a copy of our current fees or for any information on funding.

Contact Orchard Barn Stratford St Mary to get a personalised quote.

Contact Orchard Barn Stratford St Mary to get a personalised quote.

Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Olivia Pulford (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 14

Total Places for Children

  • 37

Age Range

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

Opening Times

  • Monday 08:00-18:00
    Tuesday 08:00-18:00
    Wednesday 08:00-18:00
    Thursday 08:00-18:00
    Friday 08:00-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holiday & 1 week at Christmas

Parking

  • Parking is available in the village hall car park next door.

Orchard Barn Stratford St Mary Reviews (47)

9.9

Orchard Barn Stratford St Mary has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.908) out of 10, based on 20 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Orchard Barn Stratford St Mary has 47 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Date Published
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Reviewer Connection to Orchard Barn Stratford St Mary
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Total of 47, showing 41-47
Review from Cath B (Mother of Child) published on 26 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both of our children have attended Orchard Barn in Stratford for 3 years. It is a fantastic place. The children have had wonderful key workers in their time there and we have seen their confidence grow as they have been nurtured and cared for. The children have both loved attending and made fantastic
friends. The communication between nursery and home is first-rate and they went the extra mile during the recent COVID-19 crisis to ensure the children were supported at home during lockdown as well as the parents with regular updates, sessions and meetings online. I can thoroughly recommend Orchard Barn.
Reply from The Staff Team, Manager at Orchard Barn Stratford St MaryThank you for your kind recommendation. We are delighted to hear how much your children enjoy nursery and the communication we have provided has been beneficial for yourself.
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Review from Verity D (Mother of Child) published on 25 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son has attended Orchard Barn for just over two years, and I have nothing but praise for the nursery and it's extremely dedicated staff. He began attending at the age of about nine months, and from day one the staff were hugely reassuring during what was a difficult transition for both mother and
baby as I returned to work. Nothing was too much trouble, and that remains the same to this day. Regular updates are posted on the Parentzone system, including details and photos of what the children are up to, what they’ve eaten, when they’ve slept etc. The nursery staff are very approachable, and are excellent with the children - our son always has a good time at nursery and comes home chatty and happy.
I can not recommend Orchard Barn enough - the setting is excellent, with plenty of play equipment and resources, and the way they have approached the current situation with Covid-19 has been both admirable and hugely comforting in an otherwise disconcerting time.
Reply from The Staff Team, Manager at Orchard Barn Stratford St MaryThank you for your wonderful review. We are thrilled to hear how much your son enjoys nursery, especially with the range of fantastic activities and resources we have.
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Review from Hanna M (Mother of Child) published on 25 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter (8-months-old) is in her second week attending Orchard Barn and has already settled in so well. The staff have been excellent at welcoming her to the nursery and have made me feel at ease from day one. She attended three settling in sessions before starting and this really helped the transition
to two full days a week. The nursery itself is wonderful with lots of bright colours and activities for the children and I particularly love the emphasis on outdoor play. The updates on the ParentZone app are fantastic as well as weekly e-mail updates from the manager about what has been happening in nursery that week. I have been really impressed with everything at Orchard Barn and would definitely recommend this nursery to any parents looking for childcare options.
Reply from The Staff Team, Manager at Orchard Barn Stratford St MaryThank you for your lovely review. It is great to hear how much your daughter has settled in well with us and the communication and updates we provide are well received.
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Review from Laura S (Mother of Child) published on 25 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Orchard Barn nursery has always taken such wonderful care of both my children. There are lots of different activities for the children to take part in, and they always make sure the children are safe and happy. The staff are very caring towards the children and always take the time to make sure your
child is included in everything. They are very informative about your child's day and all the weekly news from the nursery to keep parents up to date is excellent. I would highly recommend Orchard Barn nursery to any parent looking for outstanding care for their child.
Reply from The Staff Team, Manager at Orchard Barn Stratford St MaryThank you for your lovely review. We are thrilled to hear how much your children enjoy the nursery. Especially the range of fun activities we provide.
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Review from Clementine L (Mother of Child) published on 25 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our 1-year-old son stared at Orchard Barn at the beginning of August 2020. He has settled in very quickly, the staff are lovely and he is very happy there. The feedback and updates we receive are excellent.
Reply from The Staff Team, Manager at Orchard Barn Stratford St MaryThank you for your wonderful review. It is great to hear how much your son is enjoying the nursery and has settled in with us well.
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Review from Ellen W (Aunt of Child) published on 24 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
One of the best nurseries I have seen/been to. Clean, friendly and welcoming staff and fully equipped with all your children’s needs. I remember back when I went to nursery and it didn’t have any of the toys, educational values and facilities this lovely place does. I would highly recommend this place
to any of my friends or family that have children.
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Review from Gilly P (Mother of Child) published on 24 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Great nursery, lovely setting and friendly staff. My daughter loves it here, looks forward to coming every day. Very clean and organized. Would highly recommend Orchard Barn at Stratford St Mary.
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.908)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.908) out of 10 for Orchard Barn Stratford St Mary is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 20 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 20 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 4.908 for Orchard Barn Stratford St Mary is calculated as follows: ( (218 Excellents x 5) + (20 Goods x 4) + (1 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 239 Ratings = 4.908
  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 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Orchard Barn Stratford St Mary is based on 20 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 + 0.05 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 = 4
    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 37 number of registered child places is 7.4, which has been reached with 20 Positive reviews. Points = 1
  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

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (7)

Meet the Team (15)

Olivia

Olivia Pulford

Job Title: Manager Joined: 2021

Olivia is the nursery manager.

Jessica

Jessica Hazlewood

Job Title: Deputy Manager and Baby room leader Joined: 2025

Jess works in our baby room. She provides a calming atmosphere to help the babies grow and flourish.

Bethany

Bethany Black

Job Title: Baby room staff Joined: 2024

Bethany is a core member of our baby room, and is working hard to complete her level 3 childcare qualification.

Abby

Abby Constable

Job Title: Toddler Room Leader Joined: 2023

Abby loves football and enjoys teaching the children new football tricks!

Roxanne

Roxanne Stanton

Job Title: Nursery Practitioner Joined: 2025

Roxy works with us in Toddler Room Monday to Thursday.

Paige

Paige Michaelis

Job Title: Pre-school Room Leader Joined: 2025

Paige is the room leader of our preschool room.

Lila

Lila Pointon

Job Title: Pre-school Room Staff Joined: 2024

Lila is a member of our pre-school team on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Lila is completing her level 3 qualification with us currently.

Erin

Erin Allsop

Job Title: Pre-school Practitioner Joined: 2025

Erin works in our preschool room on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Emma

Emma Childs

Job Title: Nursery Practitioner Joined: 2025

Emma works in our Pre-school room on Tuesday and Thursday.

Maria

Maria Durrel

Job Title: Nursery chef

Maria is our chef within the nursery and cooks fresh, homemade meals and snacks every day.

Jazybeth

Jazybeth Cato

Job Title: Lunch Cover and Housekeeper Joined: 2021

Jazybeth helps to cover our lunches and enjoys playing with the children. She also prepares our tea and helps keep us tidy.

Abbie

Abbie Lane

Job Title: Bank staff Joined: 2024

Abbie is a member fo bank staff, helping to cover in any of the rooms.

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Louise Robinson

Job Title: Bank Staff Joined: 2025

Louise is a member of our bank staff, working across the rooms as needed.

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Janet Avery

Job Title: Bank Staff Joined: 2025

Janet works with us as bank staff and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Ellen

Ellen Francis

Job Title: Bank staff

Ellen is a practitioner in our preschool room. She is passionate about engaging the children in creative projects.

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