Grove Road Pre-school
OutstandingTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Rayleigh for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 15:30, 5 days a week. £25.00 a session, and they take the funded hours. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in September 2025. Open since 2010, with 24 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
The fees for our 3 hour sessions is £25.00.
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 3 year funding is accepted from the term after the child’s 3rd birthday. Funding is also available from the Government scheme for 2 year olds subject to certain strict criteria being met.
Worth knowing. This can be split between two childcare providers. Should you go over the maximum number of hours that the Government allocates, you would need to pay a top-up fee to cover the additional hours. Please be aware that you must re-apply for this code termly which needs to be added to your funding form prior to returning it to pre-school.
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
SS6 8UAWhat 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, 25 September 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children eagerly arrive and flourish in this nurturing environment. They enthusiastically put away their belongings and staff help them to settle into activities quickly. Children explore the exciting learning environment with curiosity, enjoying every moment in their day. Staff are highly attentive and nurture children's language development exceptionally well. For example, they read stories to children and engage their deep interests using different tones and pitches. Staff extend children's learning using props to develop high-quality conversations and interactions.
There is an ambitious curriculum in place which is well sequenced and considers children's development. Staff encourage children to make independent choices and engage in experiences of their interest. For example, children build sandcastles using spades, diggers and buckets to test their ideas. Staff extend their learning using open-ended questions. They further children's abilities by encouraging them to be independent and follow through with small tasks, such as transporting materials outdoors.
Children learn about the world around them. They enjoy plenty of exercise and fresh air. Children build friendships in their play and demonstrate exemplary behaviour. Staff role model how to be respectful and kind. Children know the difference between what is right and wrong. They understand staff's expectations in the pre-school.
- 25 September 2025Outstanding Safeguarding: Yes
- 21 January 2020Good
- 8 March 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Grove Road Pre-school
- 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
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 £25.00 a session 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.