Billericay Catholic Preschool
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Billericay for children from birth to 5, open 09:30 to 15:00, 5 days a week. £8.00 an hour, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2025. Open since 2000, with 30 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Our current private fee rate is £8 per hour (Correct as of April 2025).
One published rate. What you pay depends on the days you need and the funded hours you can claim.
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
Government Funded Early Years Entitlement to 2 year olds who meet the eligibility criteria and all 3 and 4 year olds. We are also registered to offer the 30 hours Extended Entitlement for Working Families Entitlement.
Worth knowing. We can only offer a maximum of 28.5 hours per week due to availability of the premises. If you are eligible for funding and wish to it at our pre-school, you must let us know when you accept your place, otherwise we may not be able to make a claim for their first term.
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
CM12 9LLWhat 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, 24 February 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders have created a warm and welcoming environment where children make excellent progress. Staff are highly invested in giving children the best opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills. Children arrive with enthusiasm and part quickly from parents and carers. Instantly they are absorbed in the range of fun and exciting learning experiences on offer. Staff use their expert knowledge of children and how they learn to provide tailored experiences for children. They play alongside children, providing commentary and sustaining children's interest in their chosen activity, such as when making 'tea' in the home corner. As a result, children become deeply engaged in their play and learning.
Children show impeccable behaviour. Staff set consistently clear expectations for children and act as positive role models. Children listen and respond to staff without any fuss. They tidy away their resources and follow directions to join staff for circle time. Relationships between staff and children are warm and respectful.
There is a well-established key-person approach. New children who are settling are given the utmost attention from their key person. This helps children to feel safe at the pre-school. Consequently, they are emotionally secure and able to make the very best of the available opportunities to learn.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to develop ways that help children to deepen and consolidate learning through further opportunities to research, investigate and develop critical thinking skills.
- 24 February 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 22 May 2019Good
- 27 April 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Billericay Catholic Preschool
- Youngest age taken
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- Is £8.00 an hour still the rate? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.