Bridge Village Playgroup
OutstandingTakes funded hours★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Canterbury for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 08:15 to 15:45, 5 days a week. £8.50 an hour for 2, 3 and 4 year-olds, and they take the funded hours. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in March 2023. Open since 1982, with 24 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Session | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2, 3 and 4 year-olds2y to 3y | – | £8.50Fees for 2, 3 and 4 year-olds | |
| All ages | £5.00Breakfast Club (all ages) | – |
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
For families entitled to funded hours, these can be used for any of our sessions (morning, afternoon or full days).
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
CT4 5JYWhat 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 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are eager to learn from the first moment they arrive. They are bursting with curiosity to see what activities and learning opportunities have been planned for them, and they settle quickly into their favourite things to do. For example, once coats have been hung up, they settle to play with the dinosaurs 'stomping and roaring in the crunchy rice'. Staff are always nearby, encouraging and supporting children to develop new skills and provide support whenever needed.
This results in a bubbly and lively environment where all children flourish.
Children have strong bonds with their key persons and benefit from staff that are attuned to their needs and act as positive role models. This helps children to understand the high expectations for their behaviour and prepares them well for future learning. Children are kind and considerate of others and have formed fantastic friendships with their peers. When playing games, children know which of their friends have not had a turn yet and encourage them to have a go. When helping at snack time, older children set the table and support the younger children in following the routines. This results in a harmonious snack time for all children.
- 15 March 2023Outstanding
- 10 May 2017Good
- 23 March 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Bridge Village Playgroup
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- Is £8.50 an hour still the rate? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.