Childcare in Grays
Grays has 15 day nurseries, 8 pre-schools, 14 school nursery classes, 26 childminders and 13 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 29 of them and rated 27 Good or better, 5 of them Outstanding. 47 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Across Thurrock there are 23 places per 100 children under five, worse supplied than England as a whole at 32.
Places per 100 under-fives is registered capacity at nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across Thurrock, divided by the children aged 0 to 4 who live there at the 2021 Census. It compares areas; it is not a count of free places today. It also leaves out the 33 school nursery classes across Thurrock, because nobody publishes how many children they take.
76 settings, best rated first. Search by postcode to sort them by how far they really are.
What has changed here
Ofsted does not publish closures, so we work them out by comparing releases. Worth knowing if you are working from an old list.
- Jun 2026Closed Twizzle Tops Day Nursery Full day care
- Jun 2026Opened Turners Retreat Early Years and Childhood Services Full day care
- Jun 2026Opened Moore Coaching William Out-of-school day care
- Dec 2025Opened Camp Epic Woodside Out-of-school day care
- Dec 2025Opened Herringham Primary - Premier Education Out-of-school day care
- Dec 2025Opened Gateway Primary Free School - Premier Education Out-of-school day care
- Dec 2025Opened Riverside Pre-School Services Sessional day care
- Jun 2025Closed Little Roos Pre-school 3 Sessional day care
- Jun 2025Closed Little Superstars Limited Sessional day care
- Jun 2025Closed Little Leaps Daycare Full day care
- Jun 2025Opened Growing Little Champions Sessional day care
- Jun 2025Opened Thurrocks Little Learners Full day care
What people ask about childcare in Grays
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
Which nurseries in Grays take funded hours?
21 of the 76 settings in Grays are recorded as taking the government funded hours. Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.
Are any nurseries in Grays rated Outstanding?
Yes. 5 of the 29 settings Ofsted has inspected in Grays hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Grays take babies?
56 settings in Grays are registered to take children under two. Ofsted's register does not say whether a setting runs a baby room or has space in it, so ring before you plan around it.
Is it hard to get a nursery place in Grays?
Thurrock has 23 registered childcare places for every 100 children under five, against 32 across England. That is registered capacity rather than free places, so it compares areas rather than telling you what is available this week.
Towns close to Grays
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.