Nursery Advice
Claim Your Nursery

Grove Road Pre-school

Ofsted: Outstanding
(Sept 2025)
·Grove Wood Primary School, Grove Road, Rayleigh, SS6 8UA · Essex
Number of places
24 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Sept 2025
Local authority
Essex

About this day nursery

Grove Road Pre-school, established in September 1992 as Grove Nursery Group, operates as a community pre-school situated within the grounds of Grove Wood Primary School. In 2011, the pre-school moved into a purpose-built facility, offering expansive indoor and outdoor environments that are comprehensively equipped to support the individual and developmental requirements of children.

The pre-school is registered with the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and the Early Years Alliance, ensuring adherence to current developments in early childhood education. Regularly inspected by OFSTED, Grove Road Pre-school received a "good" rating in its most recent inspection in January 2020.

The institution provides care and education for children ranging from two and a half to five years of age. It is a registered charity and emphasises a collaborative approach, actively involving parents in the pre-school community and in fundraising efforts, recognising their crucial role in their child's education and overall pre-school operations.

The pre-school is dedicated to providing high-quality care and education, fostering a stimulating and safe environment, and promoting equality and diversity, ensuring each child receives personalised attention and support for their learning journey.

What it's like

Children eagerly arrive and flourish in this nurturing environment, settling quickly into activities with highly attentive staff who nurture their language development exceptionally well through stories and high-quality conversations. Children explore an exciting learning environment with curiosity, making independent choices and engaging in experiences of their interest, such as building sandcastles and learning about the world around them.

Pricing & funding

Fees are charged per three-hour session. All fees are payable half-termly in advance.

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds

Good to know

  • Fees are payable half-termly in advance.

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday from 8.15am until 3.30pm

Age range

2.5-5 years

Term time / All Year

Term Time

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Grove Road Pre-school

Last inspected 25 September 2025

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Outstanding
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding

What it's like to attend

Children eagerly arrive and flourish in this nurturing environment, settling quickly into activities with highly attentive staff who nurture their language development exceptionally well through stories and high-quality conversations. Children explore an exciting learning environment with curiosity, making independent choices and engaging in experiences of their interest, such as building sandcastles and learning about the world around them.

Inspector highlights

  • Leaders design a curriculum that builds precisely on what children can do and how to move them on in their learning effectively.
  • Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to make excellent progress.
  • Leaders are passionate and inspirational, demonstrating deep dedication in their roles and ensuring a secure key-person system.
  • Children explore the outdoors freely, accessing a woodland area and learning about the world around them.
  • Partnerships with parents and carers are exceptionally strong.
Inspection #10407891 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

Parents report that they are kept well informed about their children's progress.

They share that staff are attentive from the settling-in process to ensure that children's individual needs are met.

Parents report that they receive regular communication and key persons share information about their children's progress regularly.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff have extensive knowledge and identify when children might be at risk of falling behind in their learning, taking swift action to close gaps. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to make excellent progress, working with external professionals to ensure targeted strategies.

Outdoor space

Children enjoy plenty of exercise and fresh air. They explore the outdoors freely, accessing a woodland area and learning about the world around them. Children play on a tyre swing and collect leaves and conkers, with staff teaching them how to keep safe outdoors.

Inspection history
Improved from Good → Outstanding in 2025

Date: May 2011

  • September 2025Outstanding
  • January 2020Good
  • March 2016Good
  • May 2011Good

Frequently asked about Grove Road Pre-school

Nearby day nurseries in Rayleigh

Other Ofsted-registered day nurseries close to Grove Road Pre-school.

Are you the owner of this nursery? Claim this listing to manage photos, hours and contact details.

Claim listing

Share this nursery

Send to a partner, friend or family member.

This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more