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Munchkins Nursery and Pre School in Basildon (SS15 6JQ)

Ofsted: Outstanding
(Nov 2024)
·
5.0(40 parent reviews) ·Warwick Crescent, Laindon, Basildon, SS15 6JQ · Essex
Number of places
55 places
Age range
1–4 yrs
Last inspected
Nov 2024
Local authority
Essex

About this day nursery

Munchkins Nursery and Preschool, founded by sisters Jo and Liz, offers a nurturing and stimulating environment across various locations in Essex. With a shared background in early years education and personal experience as mothers to seven children, the co-founders have instilled a family-centred ethos into their nurseries.

Their approach emphasises developing curious, happy, and adventurous children through a curriculum focused on empathy, kindness, and respect for both others and the natural world. The nurseries are designed to encourage physical engagement with natural resources, fostering a love for learning and the outdoors.

Munchkins is dedicated to providing high-quality, individualised care, aspiring to mirror home life as much as possible for the children. They also champion expressive communication by being Makaton friendly, integrating signs and symbols to support language development.

Beyond childcare, Jo and Liz have co-authored a book to help parents maximise their child's early education. The nursery group is continuously growing and welcomes passionate individuals to join their team, highlighting a commitment to shaping the next generation with creativity and heart.

Our ethos

Munchkins Nursery and Preschool fosters curiosity, happiness, and adventure through a curriculum centred on empathy, kindness, and respect for others and the natural world. They are committed to providing high-quality, individualised care, mirroring home life, and supporting expressive communication as a Makaton-friendly setting. Their family-centred ethos encourages physical engagement with nature to foster a love for learning and the outdoors.

What it's like

Children receive an incredibly warm welcome and have a powerful desire to learn. Staff have expert knowledge of their key children and plan a curriculum based on children's interests. Children learn to manage risks and develop excellent language and communication skills.

Family-centred ethosMakaton friendlyFocus on natural resourcesCurriculum on empathy and respect

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare
Pricing on request

This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30 am to 6.30pm.

Term time / All Year

All Year

Established

2022

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Munchkins Nursery and Pre School

Last inspected 21 November 2024 · Linda Cranny

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 receive an incredibly warm welcome and have a powerful desire to learn. Staff have expert knowledge of their key children and plan a curriculum based on children's interests. Children learn to manage risks and develop excellent language and communication skills.

Inspector highlights

  • Inspirational leaders implement a securely embedded curriculum.
  • Teaching is outstanding, and children master physical skills.
  • Children are well supervised at mealtimes and develop independence.
  • Staff have expert experience in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
  • Children gain an abundance of knowledge about the wider world on outings.
Inspection #10367260 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff have expert experience in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work in partnership with external professionals to ensure that children have access to tailored support plans. As a result, children make excellent progress in their learning.

Outdoor space

Children learn to manage risks by cooking pancakes on the open firepit, supported by staff. Babies use hand-eye coordination to explore sand in the garden.

Parent Reviews of Munchkins Nursery and Pre School

5.0
(40)
Amy cubitt
4 months ago

As a parent you couldn’t pick a better nursery! My little boy has blossomed at munchkins and loves to go there in the mornings. You can see how much the staff care and enjoy working with the child that attend. He will chat the whole way home about all the staff and what he has done that day! He has grown so much in confidence and his communication skills have thrived. Having a little boy who has some medical problem from little they have been so adaptive and understanding. We love munchkins and are so glad we picked it for our son.

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Hannah
4 months ago

My Son absolutely loves Munchkins Dunton Park. He started in the baby room and is now doing so well in the toddler room and he adores Rachael they have such a lovely bond. They always let you know how their day has been and what they have been up to all day. All the staff are amazing, I would highly recommend Munchkins!

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Jodie Jones
a year ago

We couldn't be happier with Munchkins Nursery & Preschool. From day one, the staff have been warm, caring, and incredibly supportive. Our daughter has blossomed in confidence, and it's amazing to see how much she has learned since she started going. She absolutely loves going to nursery, and it's clear how much effort the staff put into making every day special. The communication is fantastic, we always feel informed and reassured. It's such a joy to see our daughter so happy and excited to go in every morning. We highly recommend Munchkins to any parent looking for a nurturing and engaging environment. I want to give a special mention to all of the staff, they are all so amazing and I can truly see how much the children mean to them.

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Jade Shearer
11 months ago

My son started here at 2 years old, he was very clingy and the settle was a real struggle with lots of tears (from both of us), but the staff were amazing and really went out of their way to help ease him (and me) into the setting. He now asks for Pauline all morning and is so excited to see her & all his friends, strolling in without even looking back to say goodbye sometimes 🙃😂. Couldn't recommend this nursery enough!

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Hayley Nicoll
a year ago

As a new mum trying to find the best nursery that suited my return to work, our working hours and somewhere we felt comfortable with leaving our child, wasn’t something we took lightly. We attended an open day Dunton Park and the staff were amazing and went out of their way to speak to us and make us feel welcome, we also got to meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse (massive Disney fans here, so we just knew) Since then our daughter has loved attending nursery and we have seen a massive change in her and honestly, she is thriving. Rachel at Dunton Park has made me feel like there is no such thing as a silly question and has help us settle into this big change for our family a true testament to the teams ethos. All of the baby room staff are amazing and always have a smile on their face and you can see they love working with children. I would highly recommend Munchkins.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Munchkins Nursery and Pre School. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: November 2024

  • December 2024Outstanding
  • November 2024Outstanding

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