Broomhill Playgroup
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Dartford for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. £21.00 a session for 2 to 4 years, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2024. Open since 1988, with 30 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
The cost is currently £21.00 for a 3 hour session.
One published rate. What you pay depends on the days you need and the funded hours you can claim.
Funded hours
15 hours for 3 and 4 year olds, 30 hours extended funding, and 15 hours for eligible 2 year olds.
Worth knowing. Consumables fee of £1 per day applies.
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 3HTWhat 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, 19 June 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
On arrival at this small playgroup, children and parents receive a warm welcome from the friendly and passionate staff. They ensure that children's emotional needs are well met and effectively support them when they find the morning transition difficult. This has a positive impact on the children that attend. They soon settle into the morning routine and become engaged in their learning and play. Children demonstrate that they feel happy and safe in the nurturing environment that is created here.
The dedicated team have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff regularly monitor children's progress across all areas of learning and development. This ensures that any gaps in children's learning are quickly highlighted. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) swiftly implements personalised plans. They work closely with other professionals and parents to enable a consistent approach between the home and other settings that children also attend.
Children of all ages behave well during their time at the playgroup. The staff share their golden rules with children as part of their morning routine. Children freely contribute to the discussions and can be heard telling staff, 'We walk inside but can run in the garden' and 'We use kind hands because we are all friends'. This has a positive impact on children's personal, social and emotional development.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance staff's knowledge and understanding to enable them to consistently support children's communication and language development.
- 19 June 2024Good
- 19 September 2018Good
- 15 July 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Broomhill 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 £21.00 a session 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.