NurseryWise Childcare in England
Day nursery in Chatham

Alphabets Day Nursery

OutstandingBirth to 8+Long established

A day nursery in Chatham for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in October 2022. Open since 2015, with 40 places.

Call 01634 868828Their website

Cost

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 Medway

£6.00an hour, typical for a 2 years old
£5.50an hour, typical for a 3 and 4 years old

This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Medway from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.

The basics

Places, hours and the day

Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.

Who they can take
Birth to 8+Registered from birth. Whether there is a baby room is a question for the call.
When it's open
07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a weekFrom their Google listing
Funded hours
Not published, so ask them
How many children
40 placesMedium for England
How long open
11 yearsLong established
Address
15 York Avenue, Chatham, ME5 9EP

Where it is

ME5 9EP
Ofsted URN EY489643On the register since 21 May 2015
Ofsted

What 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, 20 October 2022 · read the full report

What it is like to attend

Children flourish in the incredibly welcoming and inviting nursery. All children enter the setting with confidence. They follow the routines of the setting with ease and maturity before joining their friends in play. At breakfast time, all the children come together. They confidently self-serve from the healthy range of items available to them. Children excitedly talk and engage with their friends, needing minimal input from staff. Children are actively encouraged to be independent. Even the youngest of children are taught how to take care of themselves. Toddlers can reach the sinks to wash their hands and the older children use the 'nose blowing and hydration station' to clean their faces and access drinks when they need one.

All children are fully involved and engaged in what they do. They lead their own play with confidence. The environment is skilfully planned and changed regularly to meet the needs and interests of the children. Children have secure bonds with the staff and are excited to invite them into their play. For instance, when children are being imaginative and pretending to be doctors, they invite the staff to be the patients. They use their knowledge of the world and past experiences to diagnose staff with 'a sore throat and temperature'.

Babies show sustained levels of curiosity as they explore a range of natural resources. For instance, they open boxes and plastic cartons eagerly to find out what is inside. Staff position resources skilfully to encourage children to lean forward into crawling positions to promote their physical development.

  • 20 October 2022Outstanding
  • 21 June 2017Good

Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.

Still missing for Alphabets Day Nursery

  • 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.

Before you ring

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.
Compare

Day nurseries within a couple of miles

This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.

Smilers Pre-school

Day nursery · Walderslade Baptist Church, Catkin Close, Walderslade, ME5 9HP

GoodTakes funded hours£5.75 a sessionBirth to 5From 2 years09:00 to 15:30, 5 days a week20 placesOpen for decades
0.7 mi
13 min walk
07592006725Their website

Pick two or three to compare.

Everything here comes from Ofsted's published childcare register, under the Open Government Licence. Ratings are quoted exactly as Ofsted gave them, with their dates. Read the full Ofsted reports · How we put this together.

All childcare in Chatham