Peter Pan Preschool
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Wickford for children from birth to 5, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2023. Open since 2016, with 26 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
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
SS12 0AGWhat 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, 21 November 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are busy and active learners. They move confidently around the pre-school building, which staff organise well to meet the individual children's needs. Children are very confident and guide their own learning throughout the session. Those who learn well outdoors are provided with excellent opportunities to explore and engage in learning in the exciting and interesting garden. Children enhance their balancing skills as they manoeuvre around the wooden poles of the pirate ship. They run through and splash in big muddy puddles, some of which are created naturally and some of which are enhanced by staff spraying water from a hose. Children explore a range of sensory and natural materials, both indoors and out. Staff recognise that some children struggle with placing their hands in unusual textures. As a result, they present some covered with plastic film, so that those children can enjoy the experience at their own pace.
Children understand the setting's routines, as staff are clear about their expectations of the children. They learn from a very young age to help to clear the resources away at specific times during the day, for example before lunch. Children choose whether to tidy up to music or to sing a favourite song. When they choose music, they are able to proficiently instruct the electronic device to play the required tune.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen arrangements for staff to learn from each other to create a consistently strong team n develop staff's questioning skills, so the older and most-able children are effectively challenged in their thinking.
- 21 November 2023Good
- 8 February 2023Needs improvement
- 7 November 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Peter Pan Preschool
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- 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
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? 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.