Play Planet Pre-School
OutstandingBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Canvey Island for children from birth to 5, open 08:30 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in September 2025. Open since 2017, with 29 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
SS8 9HGWhat 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, 12 September 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children excel in this exceptionally nurturing, inclusive and stimulating environment, making rapid progress in all areas of learning. Staff deliver a highly responsive curriculum that reflects children's interests. They create inspirational experiences that spark children's curiosity, extend their thinking and foster a lifelong love of learning. Children take ownership of their learning, showing remarkable independence and an impressive 'can-do' attitude. Strong community partnerships, including visits to a local care home, enrich children's understanding of diversity and deepen their social connections.
Staff place children's emotional well-being at the heart of their practice. They skilfully use calm corners and family tree displays to help children independently recognise, articulate and manage their emotions. Carefully chosen resources, such as books explaining why parents may work from home, ease anxieties and build exceptional levels of resilience. Children arrive eager, confident and ready to engage in purposeful learning from the outset.
Staff deliver exemplary support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Inclusive strategies, such as visual timetables and sensory resources, ensure that every child accesses the curriculum fully. Staff adapt provision with expertise and respond sensitively to non-verbal cues, enabling children to feel safe, valued and deeply supported. As a result, all children build trust, thrive in their development and achieve highly from their starting points.
- 12 September 2025Outstanding Safeguarding: Yes
- 12 December 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Play Planet Pre-School
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.