Christchurch Preschool
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Colchester for from 2 years 6 months up to 5 year olds, open 09:00 to 15:45, 5 days a week. £8.00 an hour for 2 year old, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2022. Open since 2018, with 33 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 year old2y to 3y | £8.00Prices per hour: 2 year old £8.25from September 2026 | |
| 3 and 4 year old3y to 4y | £7.00Prices per hour: 3 and 4 year old £7.25from September 2026 |
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
Government 3-year-old funding for up to 15 hours per week; up to 26.25 hours of the 30 hours funding.
Worth knowing. We honour this funding and offer additional fee-paid sessions.
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
CO3 3ATWhat 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, 19 April 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy their pre-school day. They wave goodbye to parents and excitedly skip to the gate, where they are greeted by happy, smiling staff. Children actively participate in a group welcome session. Staff encourage the children to talk about the days of the week, how many children are present and what the weather is like that day. Children use visual prompts around the room to demonstrate their knowledge of various shapes and colours.
Children are very well behaved. They show kindness towards each other and help their friends to achieve. For example, children hold the hands of smaller peers to support their balance on the escalating pods in the garden. They cooperate in imaginary games with wild animals, naming the animals and imitating the noises those animals make. Children understand the pre-school routines. They help to tidy the toys away and move confidently to the smaller room to listen to a story.
Children enthusiastically join in with the story at familiar parts and help to count where required.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the organisation of large-group activities to ensure that they are matched to children's individual needs and do not hinder children from sustaining their focus or attention on chosen play.
- 19 April 2022Good
- 8 October 2021Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 1 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Christchurch Preschool
- Meals
- Nappies
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.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.