ABC Preschool and Extra
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Swalecliffe, Whitstable for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2025. Open since 2009, with 51 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Kent
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Kent from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
CT5 2PHWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 15 September 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children of all ages are happy, confident and settled during their time in the friendly and welcoming setting. Staff have a good understanding of how to implement their chosen curriculum and ensure it is engaging and motivates all children. Staff build on children's interests effectively, and children are excited to learn. Babies learn about the different marks they can make. For example, they use trains and animals in foam to explore patterns. Older children learn how to develop their hand-eye coordination. For instance, they are keen to use tongs to 'rescue'
trapped 'insects' from the 'web'. Staff teach children facts about the insects they have rescued, which the children are proud to show their friends.
Staff teach children good mathematical skills. Babies are confident to count as they play, and older children learn more complicated concepts, such as estimation. Staff are positive role models. All children are polite and behave well. Staff teach children about the expectations of their behaviour and children are kind and respectful as a result. Staff provide all children with good opportunities to develop their physical abilities. This is demonstrated when younger children learn new skills such as kicking a ball, and older children build their own obstacles, such as using planks and tyres, and navigate them safely.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop children's understanding of the importance of following thorough health and hygiene routines n extend children's knowledge and understanding of other people's similarities and differences outside of their own communities and experiences, including other languages and cultures.
- 15 September 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 15 January 2020Good
- 8 October 2015Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for ABC Preschool and Extra
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.