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Headstart Day and Afterschool Care

Ofsted: Good
(Nov 2022)
·
3.7(7 parent reviews) ·Afton Drive, South Ockendon, RM15 5PA · Thurrock
Number of places
78 places
Age range
0–5 yrs
Last inspected
Nov 2022
Local authority
Thurrock

About this day nursery

Headstart Day and Afterschool Care, a family-operated establishment in South Ockendon, has been delivering exceptional care and education since its foundation in November 2003 by Sarah Abbott. The nursery welcomes children from 12 weeks to 11 years old, operating 51 weeks annually, with closures only for bank holidays and the Christmas to New Year period.

Boasting a "Good" Ofsted rating from November 2022, Headstart provides a stimulating environment with five distinct rooms tailored to different developmental stages and two expansive gardens for outdoor learning. Management, led by Jody Barry and Kerrie Everitt, invites prospective families for tours to discuss individual needs.

The nursery extends its services to include school drop-off and collection for several local primary schools, aligning with Thurrock Term Dates. Emphasising flexible childcare, Headstart offers various session options, with a minimum requirement of two sessions per week.

The nursery is dedicated to providing healthy, freshly prepared meals on-site, accommodating all dietary needs and allergies, with a specialised baby menu for weaning. The committed and qualified staff are central to the nursery's ethos, fostering secure and confident growth in every child through personalised care and continuous professional development.

What it's like

Children have strong bonds with their key person and develop good relationships with their peers. They are greeted with warm cuddles and provided with lots of praise and encouragement throughout the day. There is a a wide range of resources accessible to children, and they explore their environment well, playing with real food in the role-play area and discussing its origin and appearance. Children show real enjoyment when they are playing, exploring sensory activities and engaging in singing and dancing.

Family-run nurseryGood Ofsted ratingFlexible childcare optionsSchool drop-off and collectionFreshly prepared meals

Pricing & funding

Fees are structured around morning, afternoon, and hourly sessions, alongside dedicated breakfast, afterschool, and holiday clubs. The nursery provides options for early drop-offs and late pick-ups to accommodate different schedules.

Funding accepted

15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare

Good to know

  • A minimum of two sessions per week is required.
  • Offers early drop-off (07:30-08:00) and late pick-up (18:00-19:00) options.

Key facts

Session types

Full-day sessions, Part-day sessions, Morning Session, Afternoon Session, Hourly Rate, Breakfast Club, Afterschool Club, Holiday Club - Full Day, Holiday Club - Half Day

Food

All food is freshly prepared and cooked on-site each day, catering for all allergies, intolerances, and religious dietary requirements. They offer a dedicated baby menu to support weaning and early feeding stages.

Opening hours

07:30am to 19:00pm, 51 weeks of the year, closing only for bank holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year.

Age range

12 weeks to 11 years

Term time / All Year

All Year

Waitlist

Unknown

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Headstart Day and Afterschool Care

Last inspected 21 November 2022

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

What it's like to attend

Children have strong bonds with their key person and develop good relationships with their peers. They are greeted with warm cuddles and provided with lots of praise and encouragement throughout the day. There is a a wide range of resources accessible to children, and they explore their environment well, playing with real food in the role-play area and discussing its origin and appearance. Children show real enjoyment when they are playing, exploring sensory activities and engaging in singing and dancing.

Inspector highlights

  • Children engage well with staff and their environment.
  • Staff plan activities that focus on children's previous experiences and extend their learning.
  • Children follow the nursery's 'golden rules' for behaviour.
  • The special educational needs and disabilities coordinator has a deep understanding of how to support individual children.
  • The management team has a clear focus on ensuring staff's well-being is supported.
  • Staff plan activities to celebrate a range of festivals and develop good relationships with parents.

Areas to develop

  • 1develop staff's interactions with children and ensure they allow children time to think and respond
  • 2improve the organisation of routines, with particular reference to the time before and after meals, so that the length of time children spend waiting is reduced.
Inspection #10233633 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

'are brilliant role models who put children's needs first'

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

The special educational needs and disabilities coordinator has a deep understanding of how to support individual children. He works closely with staff, parents and health agencies, to ensure that children with additional needs are well supported and make progress. The sensory room enables children to have a quiet, one-to-one time with their key person when required.

Parent Reviews of Headstart Day and Afterschool Care

3.7
(7)
Jody B
6 years ago

Great nursery My children are always very happy here and settled in great especially in the baby room with Amie and Courtney. All staff are friendly and welcoming. Can always call to check how they are doing and they have prepared my older child ready for school in September. My children come home speaking about what a good day they had and bring home art work to show family members.

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Robi H
3 years ago

Great nursery, they take good care of the kids and have a helpful app that allows you to keep track of what your child does during the day, including feeds, sleep times etc. It can be dear compared to other local nurseries but the quality is apparent. I will recommend it if you're local to the area and have kids that are nursery age. They also provide an after school pick up from local primary schools, to their after school club. Which is handy for busy parents.

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D D
2 years ago

Wonderful nursery, lots of support and my children are happy going each day. Couldn’t ask for a better support system for when children are at nursery and support required outside. Have a great nursery app to be able to see what they have eaten as well as photos of what they do. Highly recommend

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Charleann Brown
2 years ago

Staff are friendly and chatty and caring not to mention the children including mine form very beautiful bonds with the staff in each room they always keep you up to date with your child’s day. The staff involved in my eldest care become a massive support network for my child’s needs.

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Graham Smith
2 years ago

I would not send my dog here. Rude staff, no handover, children left to their own devices, they cannot care for children adequately DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD HERE!

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Headstart Day and Afterschool Care. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: February 2013

  • November 2022Good
  • March 2017Outstanding
  • February 2013Good

Frequently asked about Headstart Day and Afterschool Care

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