Outstanding
138 placesCM8 2DZ01376 514971
East of England
Childcare in Essex
1,712 registered providers with 34,572 places, up 13.7% since December 2021.
393day nurseries
666childminders
244after-school clubs
813newly registered since 2021
59.1%rated Good or better
981closed since 2021
Childminders are disappearing here. Numbers are down 14.9% since December 2021, against a national fall of about 24%.
Towns
Where to look
Pick the place you actually live.
Chelmsford119Colchester (Essex)117Basildon54Brentwood51Harlow50Billericay38Saffron Walden (Essex)27Braintree26Loughton22Maldon21Clacton-On-Sea19Benfleet18Dunmow18Wickford18Witham17Halstead15Epping14Bishop'S Stortford (Essex)13Canvey Island12Chigwell (Essex)12Waltham Abbey12Rayleigh11Hockley10Buckhurst Hill8Rochford8Ongar7Harwich6Ingatestone6Stansted6Frinton on Sea5Manningtree (Essex)5Essex4Burnham on Crouch3Hutton (Essex)3South Woodham Ferrers3Southend-On-Sea (Essex)3Southminster3London (Essex)2Old Harlow2Springfield Chelmsford2Theydon Bois2Walton on the Naze2Writtle2Belchamp St Paul1Blackmore1Boreham1Boreham Chelmsford1Brightlingsea1Church Road1Church Street, Goldhanger1Clacton1Danbury1Felsted, Dunmow1Great Baddow, Chelmsford1Great Bardfield1Great Chesterford1Great Chesterford, Saffron Walden1Great Dunmow1Great Wakering1Hadleigh (Essex)1Hadleigh, Essex1Hatfield Broad Oak1Haverhill (Essex)1Herongate1Ingrave1Kelvedon Hatch1Langdon Hills, Basildon1Lawford1Little Bentley Colchester1Little Canfield, Takeley1Little Waltham1Little Warley1Nr Bishops Stortford1Peldon, Colchester1Purleigh1Ramsey (Essex)1Ramsey, Harwich1Royston (Essex)1Runwell1St Lawrence, Southminster1Stansted Mountfitchet1Steeple Bumpstead1Stisted1Stisted, Braintree1Sudbury (Essex)1Takeley1Terling1Thaxted1Tillingham1Tiptree1Tiptree, Colchester1Vange1Weeley1Wivenhoe1Wivenhoe, Colchester1Writtle Chelmsford1
Highest rated
Settings across the council
The sixty largest and best-rated. Childminders are not named, because Ofsted withholds them.
Outstanding
130 placesCM15 9BG01277 289435
Outstanding
108 placesCM3 4AB01245 221333
Report card Feb 2026
106 placesCO4 9AS01206 844 133
Outstanding
106 placesSS15 6PH01268 413143
Outstanding
104 placesCM77 7US01376 552700
Outstanding
104 placesCM12 9SD01277563439
Outstanding
102 placesCM2 6BN01245 290371
Outstanding
99 placesCM2 0GT01245 346 324
Outstanding
90 placesCO16 0JE01255 860 080
Outstanding
85 placesCM3 8DW01268 769599
Outstanding
80 placesCM1 6AU01245 204077
Outstanding
79 placesCB10 2ET07305093286
Outstanding
78 placesCM22 6PU01279 870077
Outstanding
76 placesCO9 1QY07444781027
Outstanding
74 placesCM8 1FQ01376 383940
Outstanding
73 placesCB11 3ED01799 528051
Outstanding
72 placesCM2 7HQ01245 477773
Outstanding
71 placesSS12 9NR01268766126
Outstanding
70 placesSS7 3PT01268795577
Outstanding
68 placesCM6 2NJ01371831262
Outstanding
64 placesCM19 4DL01297 976300
Outstanding
62 placesIG9 5BD0208 505 0005
Outstanding
60 placesCM1 1RN01245492642
Outstanding
60 placesCM2 6BP01245495455
Outstanding
60 placesSS13 3HL01268 498745
Outstanding
60 placesSS7 2TD01268774242
Report card Nov 2025
60 placesCO4 5JR01206843851
Outstanding
60 placesIG10 3HE02085085665
Outstanding
56 placesCO4 3JP01206791501
Outstanding
56 placesCM18 6TE07708610097
Outstanding
56 placesCM1 7PP01245 264110
Outstanding
55 placesSS15 6JQ07920264094
Report card Jan 2026
54 placesCO5 9AE01376 571361
Outstanding
54 placesCO4 9XN01206852525
Outstanding
51 placesCM1 7SS01245514035
Outstanding
51 placesSS15 6EE01268546644
Outstanding
50 placesCM3 5NB01245 329529
Outstanding
50 placesSS7 2PP01702 389426
Outstanding
49 placesIG10 1QP020 8508 1888
Outstanding
48 placesCM20 1PU01279 414706
Outstanding
48 placesCM14 5LF01277200642
Outstanding
48 placesIG9 5DJ07516222121
Outstanding
48 placesCM1 6HL01245468857
Outstanding
46 placesIG10 4LT02085081888
Outstanding
45 placesCM14 5SD01277 364927
Outstanding
45 placesCM7 4PY07930863221
Outstanding
44 placesCB10 2SA07811 441 615
Outstanding
44 placesEN9 3EL01992 719990
Outstanding
44 placesCO7 9AB01206 827126
Outstanding
44 placesCO4 5XT01206 853476
Outstanding
44 placesCM1 7PP01245346643
Outstanding
40 placesCO4 0PZ07580 588554
Outstanding
40 placesSS7 5HA01268753061
Outstanding
40 placesSS8 0JG01268 514045
Outstanding
40 placesCO14 8BA01255 851400
Outstanding
40 placesCM16 6EY07801299549
Outstanding
39 placesCO4 3HR07805850662
Outstanding
38 placesCO9 3EA01787 463450
Outstanding
37 placesSS16 5NP01268464422
No longer open
Settings that have closed
Worked out by comparing consecutive Ofsted releases; the closure falls in the six months before the date shown.
| Setting | Town | Places it had | Last rating | Gone by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillside Playcare Centre | Southminster | 85 | Good | Jun 2026 |
| Kids Inc Day Nursery | Loughton | 60 | Good | Jun 2026 |
| Little Faces Childcare Ltd | Chelmsford | 56 | Good | Jun 2026 |
| Blossoms Nursery Ltd | Harlow | 55 | Good | Jun 2026 |
| Watership Downs Nursery | Maldon | 44 | Good | Jun 2026 |
| Gooseberry Green Pre School Nursery Ltd | Billericay | 40 | Good | Jun 2026 |
| CMXSC @ Roach Vale Primary School | Colchester | 36 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| CMXSC @ Rayne Primary School | Braintree | 36 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Meadgate Nursery | Chelmsford | 36 | Good | Jun 2026 |
| Rainbow Children's Corner | Harlow | 34 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Safari Childcare | Colchester | 32 | Good | Jun 2026 |
| The Oakwood Pre School | Basildon | 30 | Good | Jun 2026 |
| Junior Adventures Group @ Stourview CO11 | Manningtree | 30 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Junior Adventures Group @ Finchingfield CM7 | Braintree | 30 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Junior Adventures Group @ Langham CO4 | Colchester | 30 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| The Treehouse Club | Billericay | 26 | Good | Jun 2026 |
| Diddydots Nursery | Southminster | 26 | Outstanding | Jun 2026 |
| Little Doves Day Nursery | Colchester | 25 | Good | Jun 2026 |
| Scribbles Pre-School Coopersale | Coopersale | 24 | Good | Jun 2026 |
| Sparrows Playgroup | Colchester | 24 | Good | Jun 2026 |
| Hillside Playcare | Chelmsford | 23 | Outstanding | Jun 2026 |
| Hillside Playcare | Terling | 23 | Good | Jun 2026 |
| Little Butterflies | Benfleet | 20 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Premier Education Activities - Kings Ford Infants School | Colchester | 18 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Panda Childcare | Harlow | 16 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| The Hillside Barn | Little Waltham | 16 | Outstanding | Jun 2026 |
| Little Waltham Wonders | Chelmsford | 10 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Little Oaks Wrap Around Care Pebmarsh | Halstead | 8 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Moreton SSS Provision | Ongar | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Time For Change Kids @Freshwaters | Harlow | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Colchester Education LTD | Colchester | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Stagecoach Southend | Benfleet | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Young Learners LIMITED | Buckhurst Hill | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Time for change Kids @Abbey Church | Waltham Abbey | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Longwood SSS Sports Camp | Harlow | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Notley Green SSS Sports Camp | Braintree | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Club Epic Eversley | Basildon | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Stagecoach Wickford | Wickford | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Town Square Learning Centre | Basildon | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Kip McGrath Wickford | Wickford | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Peg Activities - Great Waltham Cofe Vc Primary School | Great Waltham | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Kip McGrath Billericay | Billericay | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Brentwood Kumon Study Centre | Shenfield | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Conexus Tuition Colchester | Colchester | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Waltham Holy Cross Super Star Sport | Waltham Abbey | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Junior Adventures Group @ Great Dunmow CM6 | Essex | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Stagecoach Saffron Walden | Saffron Walden | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| Stagecoach Saffron Walden | Great Chesterford | 0 | Not yet inspected | Jun 2026 |
| White Mill Pre-School Ltd | Dunmow | 70 | Not yet inspected | Dec 2025 |
| Safari Childcare | Colchester | 56 | Good | Dec 2025 |
| Step Start Nurseries Fyfield | Ongar | 52 | Not yet inspected | Dec 2025 |
| Small Steps Daycare | Chelmsford | 52 | Not yet inspected | Dec 2025 |
| St Anne Line Catholic Nursery | Basildon | 52 | Outstanding | Dec 2025 |
| Laindon Neighbourhood Nursery | Basildon | 50 | Needs improvement | Dec 2025 |
| Northlands Park Nursery | Basildon | 50 | Good | Dec 2025 |
| Let's Leap @ Saint Nicholas School | Harlow | 40 | Not yet inspected | Dec 2025 |
| Alphabet After School Club | Kelvedon | 40 | Not yet inspected | Dec 2025 |
| Afterschool Chillout | Colchester | 40 | Not yet inspected | Dec 2025 |
| Harlequin Montessori Nursery | Billericay | 37 | Good | Dec 2025 |
| Half Pint Nursery | Chelmsford | 36 | Outstanding | Dec 2025 |