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1st Friends Nursery

1st Friends Nursery is a day nursery in Canvey Island for children aged 2 to 3, with 33 registered places. Ofsted report card, 23 September 2026: Strong standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met.

100 High Street, Canvey Island, SS8 7SQ

Key facts

Type
Day nursery (Full day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Ages
2 to 3 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered places
33 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered
3 October 2025 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)

Opening hours

Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:00

Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 23 September 2026

Who runs it

1st Friends Nursery is run by 1st Friends Nursery Ltd (Ofsted register).

Latest inspection

  • Inclusion: Strong standard
  • Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard
  • Achievement: Strong standard
  • Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard
  • Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard
  • Leadership and governance: Strong standard
  • Safeguarding standards met

Source: Ofsted, inspection on 23 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children enjoy attending this supportive setting. They explore stimulating environments with confidence. Staff offer comfort, extended learning and praise. They follow children's interests and choices. Children therefore settle quickly and build strong bonds with all the staff. Staff act as role models for kindness towards others. Children behave brilliantly, as they want to be caring too. They share, take turns and show care and concern towards others. Children seek others out for friendships and to share play experiences with. They understand what is happening now and next as it is clearly explained. Children help to tidy up and set up activities. They look forward to each part of their day as a result.

Children benefit from learning words in language-rich environments. Staff provide positive encouragement. They give children space and time to repeat new words. Staff run programmes to teach sounds and words with songs and actions, and programmes to closely support children's communication and language development. Children therefore make excellent progress with their talking and understanding of words. They become confident at communicating their needs, wants and opinions. Children keenly express themselves. They love role playing being insects, experimenting with moving and making sounds. Children proudly create marks and explore eggshells linked to the Humpty Dumpty table. They therefore become confident at expressing themselves in many different and imaginative ways.

Children develop many skills that will prepare them for future learning. They take on challenges from staff to make their own predictions and find out answers. This takes their problem-solving skills to high levels. Children develop self-care skills such as washing their hands and pouring drinks. They make excellent progress from their starting points. This includes children eligible for the early years pupil premium, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children with care plans, and children who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing.

What Ofsted found in each area

Inclusion: Strong standard

The setting has superb settling-in processes. From these initial conversations and visits, staff get to know children and families well. They use their understanding of how children learn, as well as children's interests and developmental needs, to create learning targets. Staff then create high-level learning opportunities that children enjoy and learn many new skills and knowledge from. Staff recognise quickly when children face barriers to learning, or changing situations, and quickly offer support. They provide sensory resources for some children during adult-led activities, to support them to engage and have the same opportunities as others. Staff celebrate children's cultures and backgrounds too. Children become self-aware and respectful of others as a result.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Staff use visual representations of activities, so children are prepared for what happens next. They offer large amounts of encouragement and praise for achievements. Staff also use sand timers to support sharing, as well as giving opportunities to reflect and have quiet time. This is in addition to the proactive leaders, who promptly start processes for assessments and referrals from outside professionals. Children with SEND therefore settle quickly and make pleasing progress from their starting points. Children with care plans are supported by staff who know the children well and understand how to put support in place. This means they can access the same learning opportunities and thrive alongside their peers.

Leaders closely support the use of funding for those who are eligible. They use the funding to provide areas, resources and activities that will support the children in receipt of it. An example of this is the development of a sensory area where children can have quiet time, learn about emotions and develop skills in regulating their own emotions. Children who speak English as an additional language are closely supported by multilingual leaders, who teach staff various words and phrases, and obtain books in different home languages.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

All staff have secure knowledge of how children learn. Leaders use their experience and understanding to create a highly ambitious curriculum. Staff use every opportunity to teach children. They extend children's learning to high levels by encouraging them to predict and find answers for themselves. Leaders have plans to extend teaching in languages and physical education. They are always looking for ways to further extend the learning experiences for children. Staff seamlessly adapt activities and teaching to reach children at all stages of development. This includes children eligible for the early years pupil premium, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children with care plans, and children who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing. They are included and given the same opportunities to learn and thrive at the setting.

Children eagerly access daily activities. They love joining in with songs and actions. Children learn routines, letters and sounds, and many stories. They are given opportunities to express themselves through singing, dancing, playing musical instruments, role playing and making marks. Adults embed mathematics through songs, stories and teaching. Children count and learn about the shapes and sizes of objects around them.

Adults consistently support children to develop self-care and independence. Children keenly set up activities and tidy them away after use. They love to find their plates, cups and cutlery at snack time. Children help themselves to foods, pour drinks and put rubbish into bins. They take a lead in their toileting and handwashing, as well as dressing. These developing skills are highly beneficial for children's next stages of learning. All children therefore make excellent progress from their starting points.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make excellent progress from their starting points, including children eligible for the early years pupil premium, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children with care plans, and children who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing. This is due to the planned activities linked to children's developmental goals. Leaders ensure that there is high-level support and rich learning takes place. Children stay engaged in activities for prolonged periods due to the stimulating nature and extensions of learning. They approach learning with positive attitudes and are keen to learn more by asking questions. Children therefore make great progress in their learning.

Children develop their communication and language rapidly in the language-rich environments. This is due to staff consistently introducing new words, repeating them and giving children the space to practise. Staff also use specialised programmes to support children's developing skills. Children learn to express their wants, needs and opinions in safe and encouraging environments. They quickly become confident communicators as a result.

Children acquire many skills to prepare them for future learning. These include early reading, writing and mathematical skills, as well as creative skills such as making marks, role playing and singing. They develop self-care skills in washing hands, taking a lead in their toileting, self-serving snacks and pouring drinks. Children take pride in their achievements and in completing tasks themselves.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Staff work hard to create positive environments for children. They embed consistent routines, so children understand what is happening now and next. Staff use visual representations of each aspect of the day. Children therefore feel secure and look forward to each activity. Staff act as role models for kindness and sharing. Children therefore want to be helpful and make friends. They help set up and tidy away activities. Children behave excellently. They seek out others to share play experiences. Staff teach children to recognise their emotions and how others may be feeling in situations. They regularly check in to make sure children feel secure and supported. Staff are quick to step in to use sand timers and reminders for turn taking. This keeps environments calm and children settled. This is true for all children, including children eligible for the early years pupil premium, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children with care plans, and children who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing.

Children approach activities with positive attitudes, as they want to explore and learn. They engage with activities for prolonged periods, as staff make the activities exciting. Children who require additional support to engage during more structured adult-led activities are given sensory toys so that they can be included too.

Leaders closely monitor and encourage children's attendance. They check in with families each day to check home situations and actively share images and information on what children will be enjoying from the planned activities each week. Parents therefore want their children to attend and experience these wonderful learning opportunities.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Staff get to know children and families well. They consistently create high-quality learning experiences based on interests and developmental needs. Through regular check-ins, children quickly feel valued. They learn about feelings, which helps them gain deeper understanding of their emotions and those of others. Staff link emotions to how characters in songs are feeling. Children love deciding how the mummy duck feels when she loses her ducklings, then finds them again.

All staff diligently follow guidance for supporting children's sleeping, weaning and feeding, supporting individual needs and journeys. This includes children eligible for the early years pupil premium, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children with care plans, and children who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing, who are given individualised support for their needs.

All staff implement secure practices for supporting safety, wellbeing and welfare. They put an emphasis on promoting healthy eating via sociable snack and mealtimes. Children are praised for trying foods, and staff teach them about the tastes, textures and colours of the foods. Children therefore develop deep awareness of what it means to eat healthy, balanced meals. Staff encourage children to maintain and take a lead in their hygiene via handwashing and keeping toys and surfaces clean. Children have frequent access to the outdoor space. They take on physical challenges when climbing and balancing. Leaders seek opportunities for children to access their local community. They create regular events for parents to join, such as graduation ceremonies, walks to the park and library trips, with plans for Christmas celebrations in future. This gives children a wider understanding of the community they live and play in, and a sense of belonging, as well as enjoyment in celebrating special occasions with friends and family.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are highly reflective on their practice, with clear plans for development. This includes further developing a sensory area where children can self-regulate and explore emotions, which will be created using the additional funding that children receive. Leaders also plan to extend learning opportunities in languages and physical education. They have created detailed plans for the activities provided each year, with a great deal of consideration for each child. Many of the plans from leaders are to further broaden and enrich the already ambitious curriculum in place.

All staff are highly trained. They appreciate the regular opportunities to continue learning and developing across many areas. Staff state that leaders are highly receptive to their needs, and quick to support changing situations, such as needing fewer hours of work or a safe space to discuss their personal situations. Staff therefore report feeling settled and supported. Leaders also ensure that their personal wellbeing is supported. They act as incredible role models for creating inspirational learning opportunities for children. Staff therefore adopt the same high-quality provision through the same teaching strategies.

Leaders and staff work hard to develop parent partnerships. Parents praise the progress their children make, especially in areas of confidence and speaking. They appreciate the dedication that goes into the planned activities that children love and learn from. Parents find the staff approachable, knowledgeable, trustworthy and flexible in response to their situations. They praise staff for the regular updates on what children learn and enjoy each day. Leaders are also involved in local projects whereby they closely support chosen families with additional guidance, resources and check-ins. This further ensures families facing barriers and changing situations are supported closely.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

  • Leaders should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of any disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing whom they may care for in the future.

Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 23 September 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)

Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.

The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.

Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.

Source: Ofsted reports

Funded childcare hours in England

All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.

Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.

Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.

The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.

Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)

Other nurseries nearby

  • Just Imagine Day Nursery - Canvey Island - Day nursery, Canvey Island SS8 7AX, ages 1 to 5, 74 places, 0.2 miles
    Ofsted, 25 January 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Roland Lodge Daycare The Hub - Day nursery, Canvey Island SS8 7AY, ages 2 to 4, 50 places, 0.3 miles
    Ofsted, 26 August 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Little Tewkes Nursery & Childrens Centre - Day nursery, Canvey Island SS8 8EJ, ages 0 to 4, 78 places, 0.5 miles
    Ofsted, 10 June 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • The Kids Playhouse Day And Afterschool Care - Day nursery, Canvey Island SS8 9EG, ages 0 to 4, 55 places, 0.7 miles
    Ofsted, 1 November 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Sunny Steps Childcare Club - Pre-school, Canvey Island SS8 9RZ, 0.8 miles

Schools nearby

1st Friends Nursery on the Ofsted website