Footprints Day Care
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Ashford for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2024. Open since 2005, with 104 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
TN23 3SUWhat 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, 23 April 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and confident at this home-from-home nursery. They separate from their parents with ease and are keen to seek out their friends. They approach the kind and caring staff for support when needed. Children have developed secure friendships. For instance, they enjoy engaging in role play, talking about the characters they are going to be and listening to their friends' ideas and suggestions. Children show determination to do things for themselves and to learn new skills. For example, when outside, children persevere with the exercise hoops, trying to balance them on their hips to swing them around. Staff provide children with encouragement and praise. This further promotes children's determination to master a new skill.
The curriculum is well planned and embedded across the nursery. Staff understand what they are teaching children and why. The staff and managers regularly meet to discuss the opportunities provided for children, and the impact this is having on their learning. They frequently revisit learning to check the children's knowledge and understanding. The curriculum currently has a focus on children's communication, independence and confidence to see to their own care needs. This is in preparation for their transition to school. Staff know the children well.
Children's behaviour is good. They know the rules, which are well embedded. Staff are consistent with their messages regarding the expected behaviour. This supports children in making the right choices. For example, children remind their friends of the rules, such as walking when indoors. Staff are positive role models for children.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review and improve the arrangements for group times to more effectively support children's engagement and learning.
- 23 April 2024Good
- 10 January 2019Good
- 8 March 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Footprints Day Care
- 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.