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Pre-schools in Essex

There are 601 pre-schools registered with Ofsted in Essex, East of England, and 463 of them are rated Good or Outstanding. Compare inspection reports, the ages they take, opening hours and how far they are from you.

Pre-schools
601
Outstanding
101
Good
362
After-school clubs
139
Find your best match

601 nurseries near Essex

Child's age
Ofsted rating

Some settings do not publish age ranges and are excluded by this filter. Select Any age to see them and ask each setting which ages it accepts.

Directory listingSpringfieldChelmsford · CM2 5LB
Springfield, Chelmsford

The Ark Centre

Ark Centre, 15 Springfield Lyons Approach · CM2 5LB

Under 0.1 miles from Essex
OfstedOutstandingDec 2023Sessional6 places

A sessional nursery in Chelmsford, rated Outstanding by Ofsted in December 2023. Registered for 6 places and run by The Ark Centre CIC.

Ages
0 – 8 years
Hours
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Directory listingBorehamChelmsford · CM3 3HS
Boreham, Chelmsford

New Hall Nursery

New Hall School, The Avenue · CM3 3HS

1.1 miles from Essex
OfstedGoodAug 2022Full day care111 places

A full day care nursery in Chelmsford, rated Good by Ofsted in August 2022. Registered for 111 places and run by New Hall School Trust.

Ages
0 – 5 years
Hours
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Directory listingTrinityChelmsford · CM2 6EB
Trinity, Chelmsford

Springboard Pre-School

Springfield Park Baptist Church, Springfield Park Road · CM2 6EB

1.3 miles from Essex
OfstedGoodSep 2025Sessional25 places

A sessional nursery in Chelmsford, rated Good by Ofsted in September 2025. Registered for 25 places and run by Springboard Preschool Committee.

Ages
0 – 8 years
Hours
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Childcare in Essex at a glance

Inspection results
463 of the 601 pre-schools in Essex (77%) were rated Good or Outstanding at their latest graded Ofsted inspection: 101 Outstanding and 362 Good.
Ages taken
601 list babies under 2, 601 take 2 to 3-year-olds, 601 take 3 to 5-year-olds. Registered age ranges are a guide, so check the room your child would join with each setting.
Funded hours
Working parents apply for funded hours on GOV.UK. For the 15 hours for eligible 2-year-olds, contact Essex's Family Information Service.

Read our guides to choosing a nursery and funded hours

Browse Essex by age

Questions parents ask about pre-schools in Essex

Straight answers from the Ofsted register, updated as inspections come in.

There are 601 Ofsted-registered pre-schools in Essex. 101 are rated Outstanding and 362 are rated Good at their latest inspection.

Areas in Essex

42 places
Show all 42 places

Nearby areas

3 places
Wider areaAll pre-schools in East of England