Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery
GoodTakes funded hours★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Billericay for babies from 9 months up to school age, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2022. Open since 2010, with 55 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Eligible families can access 15 or 30 hours funded childcare and may also use Tax-Free Childcare.
Worth knowing. Additional charges apply for meals, consumables (such as nappies, wipes, and sunscreen), trips, and any extra hours beyond the funded entitlement.
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 9LUWhat 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.
- 5 November 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 13 December 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are warmly greeted at the door by their key person, whenever possible.
This provides a positive start to children's day. Babies receive cuddles and reassurance from attentive staff to help them feel emotionally secure. The youngest children have many opportunities to explore natural materials. They are introduced to mathematical concepts, such as 'full' and 'empty', when they watch water trickle out of containers. Babies investigate real fruit and vegetables and hear new descriptive words, to build on their vocabulary. Staff demonstrate how to roll out a 'sausage'. Toddlers repeat, 'roll, roll, roll', as they use their hands to make their own shapes. Staff extend children's understanding of size and length when they compare two 'sausages' side by side. They listen attentively when children talk about their Christmas trees. This helps children feel respected and encourages them to speak more.
Children learn ways they can keep themselves healthy. In the pre-school room, they clean a doll's teeth with a toothbrush. Children explain, 'If you don't brush your teeth, you'll get bad teeth.' They play outside in all weathers. Children are fascinated to see how their bicycles make tracks in the snow. Older children take part in an organised sports session, where they practise a range of physical skills.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review routines to increase the opportunities for toddlers and pre-school children to play uninterrupted, make decisions and follow their own interests.
- 13 December 2022Good
- 14 March 2017Good
- 10 May 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery
- What it costs
- Meals
- 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.
- 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.