Barnett Bears Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Basildon for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2024. Open since 2008, with 40 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Essex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Essex from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
SS14 2BEWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 18 April 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive full of excitement for the day ahead, eagerly running into the nursery. Staff greet the children with smiles and hugs. They develop warm relationships with the children. Children put their belongings away and seek out their friends or favourite activities. Staff provide an abundance of interesting and purposeful learning opportunities for the children. As a result, children are motivated and naturally enthusiastic to play and learn.
Effective communication is strong in the nursery. Children speak with confidence, particularly those who speak English as an additional language. Children use language to express themselves, saying, for instance, 'I like melon' and 'I would like more please'. Staff encourage children to use mathematical language in their play. Children count to 10 when drawing lines on a chalkboard. They experiment with weight and volume, saying, 'It is heavy' and 'It is full' when playing in the mud kitchen.
Staff model and guide children's behaviour through effective teaching and guidance. Children learn how to share resources and take turns when playing with their friends. They display tolerance by respecting other children's choices and space. Children use words such as 'it is my turn next' and 'please' and 'thank you'
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to provide children with consistently rich opportunities that build on what they already know to develop their thinking skills.
- 18 April 2024Good
- 5 June 2018Good
- 28 October 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Barnett Bears Nursery
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.