Helter Skelter Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Broadstairs for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 July 2023. Open since 2016, with 45 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
CT10 1PBWhat 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, 17 July 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and confident at this welcoming nursery. Staff build positive relationships with children, who show that they feel safe and secure to explore the learning environments that staff have created for them. Staff encourage children to make friends and remind them to use 'kind hands and words'. This is reinforced by staff who refer to visual cues to support children's understanding. For instance, they use simple signing and posters to communicate the rules effectively, such as using 'walking feet' inside. Children understand the need to take care of their friends and to keep themselves and others safe.
Children are supported by staff to take turns. For example, staff show sand timers and talk about children having set amounts of time before the next part of the routine. This helps children to know what to expect next, as well as understanding when it is their turn and that they need to wait. Staff model behaviours they expect of children, and as a result, children behave well.
The environment is carefully arranged to supply children with vast choices. This includes a large indoor soft-play area, which supports children's physical development. Children develop their large physical skills and learn to climb and balance. They show their enjoyment of the different activities on offer by playing for long periods of time.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance staff interactions during group times to provide challenge for the oldest children in order to continually stretch and extend their learning n strengthen the curriculum to provide experiences that support a deeper understanding of diverse communities, both locally and in the wider world.
- 17 July 2023Good
- 18 April 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Helter Skelter Nursery
- 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.