Sessional pre-school in Braintree, Essex
Alec Hunter Pre School
Alec Hunter Pre School, Hay Lane North, BRAINTREE, CM7 3DU · Getting there
Is it good?
Read the Ofsted reportOfsted report card
- InclusionExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Behaviour and routinesNeeds attention
- Children's welfare and well-beingExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
- SafeguardingStandards met
What does this mean?
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each nursery a report card. Each area is graded on a five-step scale: urgent improvement, needs attention, expected standard, strong standard, exceptional. Safeguarding is either met or not met. There is no single headline grade, and we never make one up.
Official records
- Ofsted registrationRegistered since February 2011Reference EY425074Ofsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Inspections on record1 inspectionlatest 18 November 2025Ofsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Registered places30 placesthe most children it may care for at onceOfsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Food hygiene rating5 (Very good)inspected 29 April 2019Food Standards Agency · checked 13 November 2026
Fees
Fees, hours and ages: not published yet
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Estimate a monthly cost with the council area's typical day rate
Hours and ages
Opening hours and ages: not published yet.
Getting there
Alec Hunter Pre School, Hay Lane North, BRAINTREE, CM7 3DU · More nurseries in CM7
Stations
- Braintree Freeport9 min walk · 0.4 miles
- Braintree20 min walk · 0.8 miles
Buses
11 bus stops within 400 m, including Alec Hunter Academy, Cressing Road and Mersea Fleet Way.
Parks and playgrounds
- King George's Field4 min walk
- Brain Valley Park12 min walk
- Twelve Acres Play Area12 min walk
- Playground5 min walk
- Playground6 min walk
- Playground6 min walk
NaPTAN, Department for Transport, checked 13 November 2026 · © OpenStreetMap contributors, checked 13 November 2026. Walking times are rough, from straight-line distance.
Places and next steps
Spaces: not published yet. Nurseries often fill months ahead, so ask early.
In Essex there are about 2.9 children under 5 for every registered nursery place. Places are how many children nurseries may care for, not free spaces, so this is a guide to demand. Source: ONS Census 2021.
What parents say
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Write a reviewAbout Alec Hunter Pre School
Alec Hunter Pre School is a sessional pre-school at Alec Hunter Pre School, Hay Lane North, BRAINTREE, CM7 3DU, in Braintree, Essex. It is registered for 30 children. Its Ofsted report card (November 2025) grades inclusion Expected standard, curriculum and teaching Expected standard, achievement Expected standard, behaviour and routines Needs attention, children's welfare and well-being Expected standard and leadership and governance Needs attention; safeguarding standards met.
Compare nurseries nearby
| Nursery | Ofsted | Full day from | Hours | Ages | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alec Hunter Pre SchoolThis nursery | Report card 2025 | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | This nursery |
| Apple Tree Day Care NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.2 miles |
| Little Lily's AcademySessional pre-school | Not yet inspected | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.3 miles |
| Spring - CarouselFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.4 miles |
| Busy Bees Day Nursery at BraintreeFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.4 miles |
| Charlies House Childminding and NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.6 miles |
| Little Me Preschool BraintreeFull-day nursery | Not yet inspected | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.8 miles |
A dash means the nursery hasn't published it yet. Distances are in a straight line.
Nearby areas
Schools nearby
- Beckers Green Primary School Primaryages 5–11Ofsted: School remains Goodinspected June 2023 0.3 miles
- Lyons Hall School Primaryages 4–11Ofsted: Goodinspected October 2022 0.8 miles
- Great Bradfords Junior School Primaryages 7–11Ofsted: Standards maintainedinspected March 2025 0.9 miles
- Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School Primaryages 3–7has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Goodinspected May 2022 0.9 miles
- John Ray Infant School Primaryages 2–7has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Goodinspected November 2019 1.0 miles
- John Ray Junior School Primaryages 7–11Ofsted: Standards maintainedinspected March 2025 1.0 miles
- Cressing Primary School Primaryages 4–11Ofsted: School remains Goodinspected September 2023 1.3 miles
- St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree Primaryages 4–11Ofsted: Goodinspected June 2024 1.3 miles
Straight-line distances. Places depend on each school's admissions rules. From the Department for Education and Ofsted.
Questions parents ask
Got a question? Ask and get an answer straight away.
What is Alec Hunter Pre School's Ofsted rating?
Alec Hunter Pre School was inspected on 18 November 2025 and given an Ofsted report card. Report cards grade each area separately rather than giving one headline grade: inclusion Expected standard, curriculum and teaching Expected standard, achievement Expected standard, behaviour and routines Needs attention, children's welfare and well-being Expected standard and leadership and governance Needs attention. Safeguarding standards met.
How many children can Alec Hunter Pre School take?
Alec Hunter Pre School is registered with Ofsted for up to 30 children at any one time.
What is the nearest station to Alec Hunter Pre School?
Braintree Freeport is the nearest station we know of, 0.4 miles away in a straight line.
How do I contact Alec Hunter Pre School?
You can call 01376 321813 and visit www.alechunter.org.
Tools for parents in Essex
- Childcare cost calculatorMonthly cost with funded hours
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- Funded hours start dateWhen your child's hours begin
- Tax-Free Childcare calculatorThe 20% top-up on your bill
- Visit checklist for this nurseryPrintable questions, pre-filled
- Cost of nursery in EssexFees by age in Essex
About this information
- Registration and inspections: Ofsted · 30 June 2026
- Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools · 4 November 2026
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Department for Education data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right; contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.
- Contains Department for Transport NaPTAN data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Food hygiene rating from the Food Standards Agency, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Source: Office for National Statistics, Census 2021, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Last checked 4 November 2026 · Ofsted URN EY425074 · Plain-text version · Report a mistake
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