Barnies Day Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Paddock Wood for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2024. Open since 1999, with 70 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
TN12 6PYWhat 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, 1 October 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The staff place children at the heart of everything they do at this inclusive and welcoming nursery. Children enter with confidence and settle at activities that interest them. They have formed good bonds with staff, who know their individual needs and interests. Younger children show that they feel secure as they approach staff for cuddles and reassurance when needed. Children are respectful and consistently display positive behaviours. They demonstrate a sense of belonging at the nursery.
The curriculum across the nursery meets the needs of the children. It sequentially builds up to prepare children for their transition to school. It has a focus on children's communication and language and their personal, social and emotional development. Children are inspired by the environment and what is on offer. They make choices and lead their own play, while staff provide teaching moments to help them embed their learning. For instance, children are keen explorers outdoors, where they build constructions using a range of materials. Staff introduce tape measures and model to children how to measure the constructions. Children then incorporate this new skill into their play. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well across the nursery. All children are making good levels of progress from their starting points.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop the learning environments for younger children to focus more closely on promoting their physical development n strengthen teaching to target and extend children's developing speech, vocabulary and language.
- 1 October 2024Good
- 28 June 2019Outstanding
- 18 May 2015Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Barnies 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.
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.