Bees Knees Playgroup
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Dunkirk, Faversham for children from birth to 5, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2024. Open since 2011, with 20 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
ME13 9LFWhat 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, 18 September 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children of all abilities are settled, confident and happy during their time at the welcoming and friendly setting. Staff encourage children to be independent. As a result, children are confident to complete their own tasks and make their own choices. All staff have a good understanding of the interesting and challenging curriculum. They plan activities they know children will enjoy. When children have an interest in the ocean, staff set up a game to encourage them to 'save' the ocean creatures from litter as they introduce the concept of pollution. They read books about the ocean and bake biscuits in the shape of starfish. Staff teach children about how to respect each other's choices. For instance, each morning, children vote for which book they would like to read at story time. Children understand the concept of voting and respect the outcome.
Staff are positive role models. All children behave well and are polite. Staff teach children about the importance of following good hygiene routines to help them remain healthy. This includes successfully implementing thorough handwashing practices. Staff help children develop good physical skills, and children learn how to move in different ways. This is demonstrated when they confidently and safely build and negotiate obstacles, such as balancing beams.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- build more effective partnerships with staff at other settings that children also attend n strengthen opportunities to engage parents in children's individual learning to further improve outcomes for children.
- 18 September 2024Good
- 16 January 2019Good
- 11 January 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Bees Knees Playgroup
- 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.