Jelly Beans Montessori Pre-School At Plumberow
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Hockley for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 17:30, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2024. Open since 2016, with 30 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
15 and 30 hour government-funded places for eligible 2, 3 and 4 year olds.
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
SS5 5BXWhat 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, 4 July 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders and staff successfully organise the pre-school environment so children can safely choose whether they wish to play indoors or outdoors to lead their own learning. The pre-school staff follow the Montessori approach and break tasks down into manageable steps to help children naturally progress as they build on their skills. Staff offer more challenging experiences, as children master these skills, to extend what children already know and can do. They provide interesting experiences for children to learn based on their interests. For example, children talked about growing sunflowers at home so staff introduced them to the works of the artist Van Gogh. They read books about him and children are familiar with his famous sunflower painting. Children attempt to paint their own sunflowers and observe how flowers decay if they are not watered over time.
Leaders and staff have developed a familiar routine where children feel comfortable and secure. For instance, they offer a five-minute warning when it is time to tidy up or go inside. This helps to ensure that children's learning and engagement are uninterrupted. Staff skilfully incorporate early literacy into enjoyable activities. For example, children eagerly practise writing numbers and comments when they score their friends' performances on the stage in the garden. Staff role model polite and appropriate behaviour. In turn, children watch intently, and enthusiastically clap and praise the singers and dancers before sharing their votes.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen staff's ability to adapt group activities and consider children's levels of engagement to ensure that all children can effectively benefit from the learning opportunities n support staff to extend children's communication and language skills and introduce more complex vocabulary.
- 4 July 2024Good
- 26 September 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Jelly Beans Montessori Pre-School At Plumberow
- What it costs
- 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.
- What does it cost, all in? 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.