C4K
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Swanley for children from birth to 8+, open 09:15 to 15:00, 4 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2024. Open since 1992, with 36 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
BR8 8LTWhat 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, 6 June 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children happily enter the pre-school. They are welcomed in by friendly, kind staff in a safe and secure environment. Children leave their parents and carers with ease and settle into the well-embedded, familiar routine. They engage enthusiastically with the range of creative opportunities on offer. For example, they create their own ice-cream paintings. Staff use this opportunity to extend their learning by introducing discussions about children's past experiences at the beach. Children generally behave well. They have formed friendship groups and enjoy each other's company.
Leaders implement a broad balanced curriculum that reflects children's age and stage of development. They are clear about what they want children to learn.
Leaders think carefully about the environment and the range of learning experiences they offer. Children are involved in how the environment is set up. For example, staff have daily discussions with them about what they would like to play with the next time they attend. This has a positive impact on the learning outcome for all children.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to provide a more consistent approach to behaviour management so children understand the rules and know what is expected of them.
- 6 June 2024Good
- 4 July 2018Good
- 14 September 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for C4K
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.