Eccles Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Aylesford for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2022. Open since 1996, with 21 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
ME20 7HEWhat 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, 14 July 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
There have been significant improvements since the last inspection. Children enjoy a broad range of suitably challenging activities and experiences. They spend their day happily chatting and laughing. Children form wonderful friendships and behave very well. They play cooperatively, frequently helping others. For example, older children show those who are younger how to use tools to have more fun in the sand.
Children listen well to staff and are confident when sharing their views and ideas.
Staff take the time to ensure that children understand what is planned for them.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- monitor to ensure that specific strategies in place to support individual children's learning and development are consistently implemented n promote further the messages around healthy eating to encourage children who stay for lunch to independently make healthy food choices.
- 14 July 2022Good
- 22 February 2022Inadequate
- 13 December 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Eccles 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.