Whizz Kids Pre-School (Hockley)
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Hockley for children from birth to 5, open 08:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 October 2023. Open since 2015, with 48 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
SS5 4XDWhat 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, 10 October 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are warmly greeted by staff and run in excitedly at the start of the session. They have many opportunities to play and explore, indoors and outside, in a well-organised environment. Children enjoy regular walks in the nearby woods.
They challenge themselves on rope bridges, climb trees and take part in craft activities with natural materials. In the pre-school, staff encourage children to recall their real-life experiences, when they create artwork with the objects they have collected on their trips. Children learn about the world around them and how they can care for others. For instance, they hosted a guide dog and its owner, took part in a recycling project and entertained residents at a local care home.
The youngest children begin to understand how to keep their environment tidy.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to enhance their teaching of mathematics to build on children's existing knowledge and abilities more widely during activities.
- 10 October 2023Good
- 12 January 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Whizz Kids Pre-School (Hockley)
- 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.