Childcare in Southend-On-Sea (Southend on Sea)
Southend-On-Sea (Southend on Sea) has 19 day nurseries, 9 pre-schools, 16 childminders and 5 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 29 of them, and rated every one Good or better, 7 of them Outstanding. 20 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Across Southend on Sea there are 31 places per 100 children under five, about the same as England as a whole at 32.
Places per 100 under-fives is registered capacity at nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across Southend on Sea, 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.
49 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 Super Star Sport Essex Activity Camp - Greenways Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Closed Southchurch Park Pre School Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened Super Star Sport Provision & Camps @ Greenways Primary School Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Opened Stagecoach Southend Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened Humpty Dumpty Pre School Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened Southchurch Park Pre-School Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened Little Flores Day Nursery Full day care
- Jun 2026Opened Rocking Horse Childcare Shoebury Full day care
- Dec 2025Opened Little Legs Full day care
- Dec 2025Closed Little Legs Nursery Full day care
- Jun 2025Closed Eastwood Community Pre-School and Nursery Full day care
- Jun 2025Closed Sandpiper Pre-School Sessional day care
What people ask about childcare in Southend-On-Sea (Southend on Sea)
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
Which nurseries in Southend-On-Sea (Southend on Sea) take funded hours?
5 of the 49 settings in Southend-On-Sea (Southend on Sea) 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 Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.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 Southend-On-Sea (Southend on Sea) rated Outstanding?
Yes. 7 of the 29 settings Ofsted has inspected in Southend-On-Sea (Southend on Sea) hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Southend-On-Sea (Southend on Sea) take babies?
45 settings in Southend-On-Sea (Southend on Sea) 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 Southend-On-Sea (Southend on Sea)?
Southend on Sea has 31 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 Southend-On-Sea (Southend on Sea)
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.