Scalliwags Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in South Ockendon for children from birth to 8+, open 09:30 to 14:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2022. Open since 2004, with 30 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 Thurrock
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Thurrock 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
RM15 6QHWhat 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, 17 November 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and settle very quickly. Staff welcome and greet them warmly.
Children feel comfortable and safe in this nurturing environment, which is organised and ready for their day. They begin to explore and make choices from a range of resources and demonstrate good attitudes towards learning. Children are confident and clearly communicate their needs and opinions to staff. They calmly talk and share experiences of events they have experienced at home, describing what they liked and enjoyed.
Children's communication and language development are good. Staff take time to offer new language so that children hear words that help to increase their vocabulary. They encourage children to actively listen and to take part in discussions. Children enjoy reading a range of books and confidently repeat familiar phrases. For example, children confidently use words such as 'bang', 'colourful' and
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- build on the already good practice and seek further ways to help all staff provide high-quality teaching to consistently support the play and learning experiences for children.
- 17 November 2022Good
- 27 January 2017Good
- 6 June 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Scalliwags 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.