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Nurseries in Braintree

There are 20 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Braintree, and 6 other childcare settings such as out-of-school clubs.

Inspection grades in Braintree

  • Ofsted report cards: 2 settings (10 Expected standard, 2 Needs attention)
  • Ofsted grades before November 2025: 17 settings (2 Outstanding, 15 Good)

Grades are shown only where the inspectorate has published the report.

Nurseries and pre-schools

  • Alec Hunter Pre School - Pre-school, Braintree CM7 3DU, ages 2 to 4, 30 places
    Ofsted report card, 18 November 2025: Expected standard in 4 areas, Needs attention in 2 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Apple Tree Day Care Nursery - Day nursery, Braintree CM7 3PG, ages 0 to 9, 51 places
    Ofsted, 29 October 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Bardfield Montessori Day Nursery - Day nursery, Braintree CM7 4PY, ages 0 to 4, 45 places
    Ofsted, 13 April 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Blooming Futures Daycare Limited - Day nursery, Braintree CM7 4BP, ages 0 to 5, 32 places
    Ofsted, 27 March 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Busy Bees Day Nursery at Braintree - Day nursery, Braintree CM77 8GA, ages 1 to 4, 109 places
    Ofsted, 26 July 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Busy Bees Day Nursery at Braintree Great Notley - Day nursery, Braintree CM77 7US, ages 0 to 4, 104 places
    Ofsted, 16 April 2024: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Charlies House Childminding and Nursery - Day nursery, Braintree CM7 9EH, ages 0 to 11, 42 places
    Ofsted, 19 October 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Christ Church Pre School Nursery - Pre-school, Braintree CM7 2LD, ages 2 to 4, 35 places
    Ofsted, 18 October 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Goldingham Drive Community Pre-school - Day nursery, Braintree CM7 1AW, ages 2 to 4, 33 places
    Ofsted, 9 December 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Kidorable Pre School And Childcare Services - Day nursery, Braintree CM7 9BG, ages 0 to 11, 54 places
    Ofsted, 25 March 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Little Lily's Academy - Pre-school, Braintree CM7 3LT, ages 2 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted report card, 4 June 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Little Me Preschool Braintree - Day nursery, Braintree CM7 3JD, 50 places
  • Little Notley's Pre-School - Pre-school, Braintree CM77 7GN, ages 2 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted, 11 May 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • NGCA Ducklings Pre-School - Day nursery, Braintree CM77 7US, ages 2 to 4, 20 places
    Ofsted, 30 September 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Scallywags Day Nursery - Day nursery, Braintree CM7 5JY, ages 0 to 12
    Ofsted, 23 April 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Spring - Carousel - Day nursery, Braintree CM7 3QZ, ages 0 to 4, 49 places
    Ofsted, 27 June 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Spring - Seesaw - Day nursery, Braintree CM7 5UL, ages 0 to 4, 61 places
    Ofsted, 18 July 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Step Start Nurseries Braintree - Day nursery, Braintree CM7 9RW, ages 0 to 4, 75 places
    Ofsted, 12 January 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • The Colourwheel Montessori - Day nursery, Braintree CM77 8ZZ, ages 0 to 4, 51 places
    Ofsted, 6 March 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Yumbo Daycare - Day nursery, Braintree CM7 9AE, ages 1 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted, 28 February 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective

Out-of-school clubs and other childcare

  • Camp 4 Champs - St Michael's - Out-of-school club, Braintree CM7 2NS, 40 places
  • CMXSC @ Great Bradfords Junior School - Out-of-school club, Braintree CM7 9LW, 30 places
  • Happy Hill Essex CIO - Out-of-school club, Braintree CM77 7US, 20 places
  • Happy Hill Hub - Out-of-school club, Braintree CM77 7FS, 10 places
  • Lyons Hall Wraparound Care - Out-of-school club, Braintree CM7 9FH, 15 places
  • Primary Sports Group - Cressing Primary - Out-of-school club, Braintree CM77 8JE, 32 places

Nursery groups with settings here

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

Ofsted grades before November 2025 (England)

Inspections before November 2025 gave one overall grade on a four-point scale: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement, Inadequate. Ofsted also graded the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, and said whether safeguarding was effective.

Settings keep their last grade until Ofsted visits again, so many nurseries still show a grade from this older scale.

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)

Council area

Schools in Braintree

Sources: Ofsted, registers as at 30 June 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.