Bright Horizons Springfield Lodge Dartford Day Nursery and Preschool
Good★ 3.9 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Dartford for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2023. Open since 2017, with 144 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
DA1 1NTWhat 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.
- 14 September 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 27 March 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 7 October 2021 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 5 July 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy warm and stimulating interactions with staff. Younger children watch with fascination as staff show them how to move and shake their pom-poms in different ways. This encourages children to develop their physical skills. Older children participate in group activities where they learn about the life cycle of caterpillars. Staff skilfully extend this activity so that children can hear new vocabulary, such as 'ginormous'. Children are invited to think of their own words to share with their friends. This helps to build on what children already know.
Staff respond promptly to support children to manage their behaviour. They remind children of the 'golden rules' and this supports children to understand how they are expected to behave at nursery. This has helped staff to reduce the noise levels in each room, which enables children to fully benefit from a quieter and calmer learning environment.
Children are happy and engaged in their learning environment. They demonstrate friendly behaviour towards their friends as they sit in the book corner and read to each other. Children also enjoy interactions with staff. They listen intently as adults read to them. They point to the pictures in the book and share their ideas with staff. This supports children to develop their communication and language skills.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop staff's understanding of how to identify precise learning targets and plan more effectively for the next stage of children's learning n support staff to more consistently promote children's independence skills, to help Preschool them carry out self-care tasks for themselves. Preschool
- 5 July 2023Good
- 2 February 2023Inadequate
- 9 November 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Bright Horizons Springfield Lodge Dartford Day Nursery and Preschool
- 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.