NurseryWise Childcare in England
Day nursery in Canterbury

Elham Pre School

Ofsted report card Feb 2026Birth to 5Long established

A day nursery in Canterbury for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Inspected under Ofsted's new report card in February 2026. Open since 2016, with 12 places.

Call 01303 840041Their website

Cost

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

£7.00an hour, typical for a 2 years old
£6.50an hour, typical for a 3 and 4 years old

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.

The basics

Places, hours and the day

Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.

Who they can take
Birth to 5Registered from birth. Whether there is a baby room is a question for the call.
When it's open
08:00 to 15:00, 5 days a weekFrom their Google listing
Funded hours
Not published, so ask them
How many children
12 placesSmall for England
How long open
10 yearsLong established
Address
Elham Village Hall, High Street, Canterbury, CT4 6SX

Where it is

CT4 6SX
Ofsted URN EY500776On the register since 3 August 2016
Inspected 27 February 2026

What Ofsted found, area by area

Since November 2025 Ofsted gives a standard in each of seven areas rather than one overall grade. Expected standard means it is doing what it should.

Keeping children safe
Met
Including every child
Expected standard
What and how they teach
Needs attention
How children get on
Needs attention
Behaviour and routines
Expected standard
Welfare and wellbeing
Expected standard
Leadership
Needs attention
Ofsted

What 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.

  • 27 February 2026Report card seven areas graded separately Safeguarding: Met
  • 23 September 2025Inadequate Safeguarding: Yes
  • 3 December 2024Needs improvement Safeguarding: Yes
  • 16 July 2024Inadequate
  • 29 November 2018Good

Rated Good or Outstanding at 1 of the last 4 graded inspections.

Still missing for Elham 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.

Before you ring

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.
Compare

Day nurseries within a couple of miles

This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.

Kid Ease Swingfield House

Day nursery · Swingfield House, Canterbury Road, Dover, CT15 7SH

OutstandingTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week★ 4.3 Google, 1157 placesLong established
2.5 mi
7 min drive
01303 844748Their website

Pick two or three to compare.

Everything here comes from Ofsted's published childcare register, under the Open Government Licence. Ratings are quoted exactly as Ofsted gave them, with their dates. Read the full Ofsted reports · How we put this together.

All childcare in Canterbury