Dolly's Daycare At Squirrel Lodge
GoodTakes funded hours★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Ashford for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 08:00 to 16:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2024. Open since 2015, with 32 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
FF2 funding for two-year-olds, additional funding for working parents of two year olds, 3–4-year-old funding (15 hours), 3–4-year-old 30 hours funding.
Worth knowing. Funding hours are allocated between 09:00 to 12:00 and 12-30 to 15-30 Monday to Friday up to a maximum of 15-30 hour per week. Funding which is allocated for 38 weeks of the year, Additional hours attended will be charged at our hourly rate or for those who are not eligible.
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
TN23 3PAWhat 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, 22 January 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thrive in this welcoming, child-centred and caring nursery. The manager and staff are enthusiastic and dedicated to improving outcomes for all children.
Staff greet children with genuine warmth and kindness and settle them straight into activities in the morning. A strong key-person system supports children to feel safe and ready to explore their surroundings. Children often cuddle up to staff and giggle as they engage them playfully.
Staff are consistent and fair with their expectations and rules for children. Children respond to these very well and show they are clear about the rules and routines of the day. They enjoy forming friendships with their peers and regularly invite their friends into their play. Children are often heard laughing, exclaiming with joy and seen beaming with pride at their achievements.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- increase opportunities to celebrate the cultural background of children who attend, to further enhance children's self-identity and awareness of similarities and differences n enhance the already strong partnership with parents, so that all parents know their child's individual next steps and can support their learning at home.
- 22 January 2024Good
- 17 April 2018Good
- 18 October 2017Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Dolly's Daycare At Squirrel Lodge
- What it costs
- Meals
- Nappies
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.
- What does it cost, all in? 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.