Hemsley House Nursery School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Maidstone for children from birth to 5, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2024. Open since 2022, with 34 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
ME16 8HUWhat 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.
- 24 June 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 17 October 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders have implemented very secure settling-in procedures. The staff work extremely closely with parents. They are dedicated to providing children with a nurturing, homely environment. This helps babies and toddlers to build close bonds with the staff as they confidently investigate their surroundings. The staff know the children exceptionally well and are sensitive to their needs. They make sure that the children have familiar resources available to them. For example, staff set up activities to explore children's favourite stories. They encourage children to predict which animal the mouse will meet next. Staff place a strong emphasis on supporting children's well-being. This helps children to gain a sense of security and belonging as they settle and progress through the nursery.
Staff have high expectations for all children in the nursery. They plan a wellsequenced curriculum that incorporates the needs of all children. For example, staff support toddlers to learn about positional language as they hide items 'under' the sand. Children's behaviour is appropriate to their age. They learn to share as they take turns to hide the items. Leaders have a wealth of knowledge to ensure that they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those children who speak English as an additional language. For instance, staff make effective use of sign language and 'now and next' boards to help communicate with children. As a result, children make good progress from their starting points.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to strengthen their interactions with children to help consistently extend learning and further develop children's language skills.
- 17 October 2024Good
Still missing for Hemsley House Nursery 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.