Little Cubs Palmarsh Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Hythe 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 November 2023. Open since 2017, 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
CT21 6NEWhat 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, 7 November 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at the pre-school happy and leave their parents and carers with confidence. They instantly engage in activities and talk to their friends. Staff are warm and welcoming and provide reassurance and comfort when needed. This helps children feel safe and secure in the pre-school environment.
The manager has built a curriculum that focuses on what they want children to learn. The small staff team understands the needs of all the children. Staff speak regularly about children's next steps and individual plans and how these can be promoted. The curriculum focuses on children's speech and language, and their personal, social and emotional development. Staff have created a superhero area to meet the interests of the children, while thinking about the learning they can incorporate into this. For example, children count the legs on the 'Spiderman' logo and are keen to share their knowledge, promoting their speech. All children are making good progress from their starting points, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
Children are kind and behave well. They show an awareness of sharing resources and playing with others. Staff role model good behaviour, and children learn about boundaries and expectations. Staff recognise positive behaviour and praise children throughout the day. This helps to raise children's self-esteem and develops their confidence.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to make the most of opportunities that arise to extend children's emerging communication and language skills n review and improve the organisation of daily routines to minimise the disruption to children's learning.
- 7 November 2023Good
- 1 November 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Cubs Palmarsh 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.