Hunton & Linton Pre-school
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Maidstone for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2024. Open since 1989, with 30 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
ME15 0RSWhat 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, 11 September 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and excitedly enter this welcoming, well-run setting. Staff organise the environment in a way that is inviting and supports children to settle quickly. Children leave their parents and confidently start their day. Staff know the children well. They have developed a curriculum that is sequenced and builds on children's interests and what they need to learn next. They think carefully about the range of learning experiences they provide. For example, children excitedly wash dolls and clean their teeth. This helps them to learn about personal hygiene routines.
Staff provide lots of opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. They support children to balance, crawl, pedal and throw. Children gain good coordination and spatial awareness. For example, they skilfully ride their bike around obstacles without touching them.
Children behave exceptionally well. They treat each other and staff with respect.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to plan group times more effectively so all children can remain engaged and fully benefit from the intended learning n strengthen the arrangements to support new children to settle and become familiar with routines.
- 11 September 2024Good
- 15 November 2018Good
- 24 May 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Hunton & Linton 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.