Playhouse Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Upminster for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2024. Open since 2013, with 32 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 Havering
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Havering 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
RM14 2LWWhat 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, 20 March 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and excited. They settle well in this calm and nurturing preschool. They form strong bonds with staff, and this helps children feel safe and secure. Staff implement strong routines for children that support their independence. Children come in and change into their indoor shoes; they hang up their coats and put their lunch boxes and water bottles away with very little support.
The manager has a clear and ambitious curriculum in place. Children have a love for nursery rhymes, and staff regularly sing with them. Staff use this interest to secure children's numeracy. Children make 'five little ducks' using play dough; they decorate the ducks and add googly eyes. Children develop their hand-to-eye coordination. Staff encourage children to recite the nursery rhyme, counting back from five to one. All staff understand the curriculum intent and plan meaningful learning opportunities for children. This helps children to make good progress.
Staff and leaders encourage children's curiosity. In the garden, children use spades to dig in the mud. They find worms and snails and create habitats for the creatures. Staff share their behaviour expectations with children, encouraging being kind and considerate when caring for creatures. Children talk about being
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the effectiveness of strategies and support staff's understanding of how to help children resolve conflict.
- 20 March 2024Good
- 19 April 2018Good
- 19 April 2017Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Playhouse 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.