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Nursery at Lee Chapel Primary School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Conversation and carpet time give Lee Chapel Nursery its clearest character: children learn to express themselves while getting used to learning together. This is Lee Chapel Primary School’s nursery in Basildon, catering for ages 2 to 4. Four classrooms each accommodate 32 children, with at least four nursery staff in each. It is a substantial provision organised into separate room teams.
Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 22 and 23 November 2023. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Language has a clear place in the day. In November 2023, nursery staff used conversations to extend children’s communication and help them explore their surroundings. The value for a young child is practical: talking becomes part of discovering things, rather than simply answering an adult’s questions.
Group routines matter too. Children maintained their attention during circle time on the classroom carpet in November 2023. This gives families a concrete picture of shared learning alongside the emphasis on conversation: children practise joining a group and concentrating on an activity together.
The session pattern distinguishes the age groups. Rising 4s, already three and turning four during the academic year, attend the morning session; Rising 3s, already two and turning three during that year, attend afternoons. Both groups can attend full days. For full-day children, a supervised lunch interval lasts 20 minutes and includes lunch, creating a break between the morning and afternoon.
Each room has a room lead, alongside its nursery staff team. Support for special educational needs and disabilities includes a SEND lead whose remit covers Nursery and Reception. This gives families a defined team role to approach about additional needs.
Settling sessions took place in September 2026. Room-specific parents’ evenings also ran that month for both Rising 3s and Rising 4s, giving parents an opportunity to discuss their child within their room group.
Meals and snacks are voluntary charged extras. If parents do not pay for them, those services are not supplied, so families need to distinguish the childcare arrangement from the food arrangement. Parents provide nappies, wipes and formula or milk; the nursery does not charge for these non-food consumables.
Nursery attendance neither guarantees a Reception place at Lee Chapel nor gives an application priority. Families must make a separate Reception application. Familiarity with the school does not change that requirement.
For September 2027 entry, applications go through Essex County Council’s online portal, with the window running from 10 November 2026 to 15 January 2027. Applications cannot go directly to the school. Keep that deadline separate from nursery arrangements: accepting a nursery place does not complete the next application.
Morning sessions run from 8:30am to 11:30am; afternoons run from 11:50am to 2:50pm. Full days start at 8:30am and finish at 2:50pm. The minimum attendance is two sessions each week, while the nursery encourages between three and five. Provision follows the school’s terms, so families need childcare arrangements for the holidays.
All children qualify for 15 funded hours from the term after their third birthday; eligible children can receive up to 30 hours each week. Funding forms must reach the nursery before each term starts, and parents are responsible for applying for funding. Funded hours carry no compulsory charges. Additional hours and voluntary activities can attract charges; contact the school for current charges.
Before funding begins, invoices are issued half termly, payable through SchoolMoney within 14 days. Nursery enquiries and completed application forms go to nurseryadmin@leechapel.essex.sch.uk.
Uniform includes a red nursery jumper, a plain white polo shirt and red bottoms, with trainers or sturdy shoes and a red book bag. This is a nursery with a school-style clothing routine as well as a term-time calendar.
Children aged 2 to 4. Children can start in the September after their second birthday, regardless of funding entitlement.
Morning sessions are 8:30am to 11:30am for Rising 4s, and afternoons are 11:50am to 2:50pm for Rising 3s. Both age groups can attend full days from 8:30am to 2:50pm.
Yes. All children are entitled to 15 hours from the term after their third birthday, and eligible children can receive up to 30 hours weekly. Meals, snacks and activities may involve voluntary extras.
No. Attendance provides neither a guarantee nor priority. For September 2027 entry, apply separately through Essex County Council’s online portal between 10 November 2026 and 15 January 2027.
Email nurseryadmin@leechapel.essex.sch.uk for nursery enquiries or to return a completed nursery application form.
