The Centre Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Basildon for children from birth to 8+, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2022. Open since 2000, 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
SS14 2EQWhat 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 July 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff provide children with warm and nurturing interactions. Staff have a good understanding of children's interests and how to support their learning and development. The activities and resources on offer are adapted to follow children's interests. For example, children have recently been interested in insects. Therefore, staff provided an activity where the children could hunt for bugs under the leaves and learn the names of the insects. Staff have good communication with parents, informing them about what their children have been learning. Parents speak highly of the setting and comment on how they have a good relationship with their child's key person.
Staff value and respect children. Children are provided with lots of opportunities to make their own choices and to be independent. Children use knives to butter their crackers for snack, and pour their own water and milk. Children are encouraged to make up their own stories, developing their imagination. Staff write down these stories and read these back to the children. Staff and children are often seen singing songs and using phrases from stories during their play. Staff have high expectations of the children. They introduce new vocabulary, such as 'spectacle'.
Children are happy at nursery. They access a range of resources both inside and outside. They play well with each other and share resources. Children's behaviour is good and they follow rules and routines well.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to engage more effectively with less confident and quieter children to maximise their learning.
- 12 July 2022Good
- 15 September 2016Good
- 19 April 2016Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Centre 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.