Nurseries in Rayleigh
There are 9 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Rayleigh, and 2 other childcare settings such as out-of-school clubs.
Inspection grades in Rayleigh
- Ofsted report cards: 1 setting (5 Strong standard, 1 Expected standard)
- Ofsted grades before November 2025: 8 settings (3 Outstanding, 5 Good)
Grades are shown only where the inspectorate has published the report.
Nurseries and pre-schools
- Born To - Pre-school, Rayleigh SS6 8BW, ages 3 to 10, 16 placesOfsted, 11 May 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- Downhall Under Fives - Pre-school, Rayleigh SS6 9NN, ages 2 to 4, 28 placesOfsted, 1 July 2025: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- Fairview Under Fives Group - Pre-school, Rayleigh SS6 8AJ, ages 2 to 4, 20 placesOfsted, 9 May 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Grove Road Pre-school - Day nursery, Rayleigh SS6 8UA, ages 2 to 4, 24 placesOfsted, 25 September 2025: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- Happy Days Nursery - Day nursery, Rayleigh SS6 9QG, ages 0 to 4, 44 placesOfsted, 25 September 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Kindred Rayleigh - Day nursery, Rayleigh SS6 7JQ, ages 0 to 4, 68 placesOfsted, 28 August 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Our Lady of Ransom Preschool - Pre-school, Rayleigh SS6 9DT, ages 2 to 4, 40 placesOfsted, 24 April 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Rascals Childcare Limited - Day nursery, Rayleigh SS6 9HP, ages 0 to 4, 30 placesOfsted, 17 August 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Toad Hall Day Nursery and Pre School - Day nursery, Rayleigh SS6 7PE, 76 placesOfsted report card, 21 August 2026: Strong standard in 5 areas, Expected standard in 1 area; safeguarding standards met
Out-of-school clubs and other childcare
- Kidz Camp Essex Rayleigh - Out-of-school club, Rayleigh SS6 7DD, 60 places
- Kidzone - Out-of-school club, Rayleigh SS6 9EH, 30 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 Rayleigh
- Schools in Rayleigh
- Down Hall Primary School - Primary
- Edward Francis Primary School - Primary
- Glebe Primary School - Primary
- Grove Wood Primary School - Primary
- Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Primary School - Primary
- Rayleigh Primary School - Primary
- Wyburns Primary School - Primary
Sources: Ofsted, registers as at 30 June 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.