Cuddles Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Dartford for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 12:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2022. Open since 2011, with 42 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
DA2 6JZWhat 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, 8 February 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy to attend the pre-school. They leave their parents at the door and come in happily, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their starting points. Children focus well during activities and develop a positive attitude towards learning. They do not give up even when challenges arise. For instance, when participating in a tasting activity, children are willing to try different flavours even if they are unsure.
Children's speech and language development is well supported. They learn and repeat new words throughout the session. For example, children repeat words such as 'fluffy' to describe how shaving foam feels as they enjoy exploring its texture with their fingers. Children are confident communicators. They voice their needs and interests. Children are encouraged to share their ideas and talk about what they are doing. For example, they describe the insects they can see when using a microscope.
Children feel comfortable approaching adults for support with self-care. For example, following a messy play activity, children confidently ask an adult to help them wash their hands in the bathroom.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to recognise and use opportunities to further challenge and extend children in their learning n provide more detailed information regarding children's next stages of learning to parents to enable them to continue their child's learning at home.
- 8 February 2022Good
- 9 June 2016Good
- 6 July 2015Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Cuddles Pre-School
- 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.