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Kent

Childcare in Maidstone

Maidstone has 34 day nurseries, 32 pre-schools, 15 school nursery classes, 30 childminders and 17 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 81 of them and rated 74 Good or better, 10 of them Outstanding. 47 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Across Kent there are 33 places per 100 children under five, about the same as England as a whole at 32.

33places per 100 under-fives in Kent, against 32 for England
91%of the 81 inspected here are Good or better, 10 Outstanding
33 of 128are recorded as taking the funded hours; the rest are unknown, not a no

Places per 100 under-fives is registered capacity at nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across Kent, divided by the children aged 0 to 4 who live there at the 2021 Census. It compares areas; it is not a count of free places today. It also leaves out the 138 school nursery classes across Kent, because nobody publishes how many children they take.

55 settings match. Search by postcode to sort them by how far they really are.

Day nurseries 34

Alphabets Nursery

Day nursery · 2 Hillary Road, Penenden Heath, Maidstone, ME14 2JP

OutstandingBirth to 508:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week44 placesOpen for decades

Weavering Pre-School

Day nursery · The Village Hall, Weavering Street, Maidstone, ME14 5JP

GoodTakes funded hours£10.50 a sessionBirth to 8+09:30 to 14:00, 5 days a week60 placesOpen for decades

Harlequin Forest School

Day nursery · The Woods, Boughton Lane, Maidstone, ME17 4NA

OutstandingBirth to 8+Open all day, usually 8am to 6pm15 placesOpen a few years

Smarties Nursery

Day nursery · Postley Road, Maidstone, ME15 6TL

GoodTakes funded hours£76.55 a dayBirth to 8+Babies from 9 months08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week24 placesLong established

Stepping Stones

Day nursery · 48 Wheeler Street, Maidstone, ME14 1UA

GoodBirth to 8+09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 624 placesLong established

Tiger Cubs Day Nursery

Day nursery · New Line Learning Academy, Boughton Lane, Maidstone, ME15 9QL

GoodBirth to 8+Open all day, usually 8am to 6pm35 placesOpen for decades

Pennies at Newnham Court

Day nursery · Newnham Court Shopping Village, Bearsted Road, Maidstone, ME14 5LH

GoodBirth to 8+08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week131 placesOpen for decades

Pennies Day Nursery Ltd

Day nursery · Thornbank, 149 Hockers Lane, Maidstone, ME14 5JY

GoodBirth to 8+Open all day, usually 8am to 6pm55 placesOpen for decades

M.A Nursery Ltd

Day nursery · Hollingbourne Parish Council, Cardwell Pavilion, Maidstone, ME17 1QQ

GoodBirth to 8+Open all day, usually 8am to 6pm42 placesNewly opened

Ringle Rainbow Nursery

Day nursery · St. Faiths Centre, Moncktons Lane, Maidstone, ME14 2PY

Report card Mar 2026Takes funded hours£68.00 a dayBirth to 5From 2 years08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 1025 placesOpen a few years

art-K Maidstone

Day nursery · 34 Royal Star Arcade, High Street, Maidstone, ME14 1JL

Not yet inspected5 and over08:30 to 20:15, 7 days a week★ 4.6 Google, 12Long established

Pre-schools 17

Cherubs Pre School

Pre-school · Linton Village Hall, Linton Hill, Maidstone, ME17 4AW

OutstandingTakes funded hours£7.00 an hourBirth to 8+09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 532 placesOpen for decades

Trinity Pre-School

Pre-school · Vinters Road, Maidstone, ME14 5DX

GoodTakes funded hours£33.00 a sessionBirth to 5From 3 years09:00 to 16:00, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 1045 placesOpen for decades

Coxheath Preschool

Pre-school · Stockett Lane, Coxheath, Maidstone, ME17 4PT

GoodTakes funded hours£17.50 a sessionBirth to 5From 2 years09:00 to 12:00, 7 days a week30 placesOpen for decades

Playhouse Preschool

Pre-school · Allington Community Association, Castle Road, Maidstone, ME16 0PZ

GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+From 2 years09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week40 placesLong established

Nellies Pre-School

Pre-school · Shepway Youth and Community Centre, Cumberland Avenue, Maidstone, ME15 7JN

GoodBirth to 509:00 to 14:30, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 526 placesLong established

Little Fawns Pre-School

Pre-school · South Borough Cp School, Postley Road, Maidstone, ME15 6TL

Report card Nov 2025Takes funded hours£20.00 a sessionBirth to 5From 2 years09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week28 placesOpen a few years

Fledgelings Nursery

Pre-school · Grove Green Community Hall, Penhurst Close, Maidstone, ME14 5BT

Not yet inspectedTakes funded hoursBirth to 5From 2 years09:00 to 14:30, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 630 placesLong established

School nursery classes 1

Childminders 2

Only childminders who agreed to be listed publicly appear here. Ofsted holds many more and does not publish their details.

After-school and holiday clubs 1

Tick two or three to compare them.

Recently

What has changed here

Ofsted does not publish closures, so we work them out by comparing releases. Worth knowing if you are working from an old list.

  • Jun 2026Opened Football Fun Camp Lenham Out-of-school day care
  • Jun 2026Opened Junior Adventures Group @ Boughton Monchelsea Out-of-school day care
  • Jun 2026Opened TT'S AFTER SCHOOL CLUB Out-of-school day care
  • Jun 2026Opened Owl & Bear Daycare Full day care
  • Jun 2026Opened Football Fun Camp Maidstone Out-of-school day care
  • Jun 2026Closed TT's After School Club Out-of-school day care
  • Jun 2026Closed Football Fun Camp Maidstone Out-of-school day care
  • Jun 2026Closed Football Fun Camp Lenham Out-of-school day care
  • Dec 2025Closed Progressive Sports @ Molehill Out-of-school day care
  • Dec 2025Closed DDivine Training Ltd Out-of-school day care
  • Dec 2025Closed Michelle Archer - Cardwell Pavillion Sessional day care
  • Dec 2025Closed Fledgelings Nursery Sessional day care
Questions

What people ask about childcare in Maidstone

Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.

Which nurseries in Maidstone take funded hours?

33 of the 128 settings in Maidstone are recorded as taking the government funded hours. Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.

Are any nurseries in Maidstone rated Outstanding?

Yes. 10 of the 81 settings Ofsted has inspected in Maidstone hold an Outstanding grade.

Which nurseries in Maidstone take babies?

105 settings in Maidstone are registered to take children under two. Ofsted's register does not say whether a setting runs a baby room or has space in it, so ring before you plan around it.

Is it hard to get a nursery place in Maidstone?

Kent has 33 registered childcare places for every 100 children under five, against 32 across England. That is registered capacity rather than free places, so it compares areas rather than telling you what is available this week.