Childcare in Whitstable
Whitstable has 6 day nurseries, 4 pre-schools, 3 school nursery classes, 7 childminders and 2 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 10 of them, and rated every one Good or better, 2 of them Outstanding. 12 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.
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 2026Closed St Andrews Playgroup Full day care
- Jun 2025Opened Whitstable Junior School Wrap Around Care Sessional day care
- Jun 2025Opened The Castle Pre School Whitstable LTD Sessional day care
- Jun 2025Closed The Castle Pre-School Full day care
What people ask about childcare in Whitstable
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
Which nurseries in Whitstable take funded hours?
6 of the 22 settings in Whitstable 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 Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.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 Whitstable rated Outstanding?
Yes. 2 of the 10 settings Ofsted has inspected in Whitstable hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Whitstable take babies?
17 settings in Whitstable 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 Whitstable?
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 Whitstable
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.