Childcare in Tonbridge
Tonbridge has 21 day nurseries, 14 pre-schools, 5 school nursery classes, 32 childminders and 15 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 49 of them and rated 46 Good or better, 10 of them Outstanding. 38 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.
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.
87 settings, best rated first. Search by postcode to sort them by how far they really are.
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 Tinkers and Tribe of Tatlingbury Oast Full day care
- Jun 2026Opened Junior Adventures Group @ Slade Primary Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Opened Brenchley Preschool Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened Sussex Road ASC Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Closed Brenchley Pre-School Limited Full day care
- Jun 2026Closed Early Learning Steps Staplehurst Sessional day care
- Dec 2025Closed Progressive Sports @ Paddock Wood Out-of-school day care
- Dec 2025Closed Mega Camps Tonbridge Out-of-school day care
- Dec 2025Opened Premier Education WAC - Leigh Academy Horsmonden Out-of-school day care
- Dec 2025Opened Junior Adventures Group @ Somerhill TN11 Out-of-school day care
- Dec 2025Opened Blooming Olives Day Nursery Limited Full day care
- Jun 2025Opened Newton Lang at Brenchley & Matfield Primary Out-of-school day care
What people ask about childcare in Tonbridge
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
Which nurseries in Tonbridge take funded hours?
10 of the 87 settings in Tonbridge 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 Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.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 Tonbridge rated Outstanding?
Yes. 10 of the 49 settings Ofsted has inspected in Tonbridge hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Tonbridge take babies?
77 settings in Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge?
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.
Towns close to Tonbridge
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.