Ickle Pickles Nursery School
Good★ 4.8 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Sittingbourne for children from birth to 5, open 07:15 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 2024, with 61 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
ME9 8UWWhat 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.
- 15 October 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 24 October 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff create a warm and welcoming environment for children and their parents and children demonstrate that they feel happy and secure. Staff know the children well.
They find out key information about children, from when they first start attending.
Settling in sessions are arranged and staff ensure that children transition successfully when they move on to the next stage of their educational journey.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to reduce the noise levels in the setting, to fully enable children's communication and language development n provide children with clear and consistent instructions that support their understanding of the routines and expectations.
- 24 October 2024Good
Still missing for Ickle Pickles 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.