Little Explorers Kindergarten Riverside
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Gravesend for children from birth to 8+, open 08:45 to 15:15, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025. Open since 2013, with 40 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
DA12 2JYWhat 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, 5 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff provide a warm greeting to all children and their families at this friendly and welcoming pre-school. Children arrive happily, giggling with excitement as they quickly settle to explore the many activities and resources. Relationships between staff and children are warm and supportive. Staff immerse themselves in child-led play and have fun with the children, often making them laugh and smile. For example, children shout with joy as staff encourage them to imagine they are going on a rocket into space.
Staff are consistent and fair with their expectations for boundaries and rules. They are quick to notice any incidents of behaviour and talk to children calmly to help them understand the situation. Staff model positive behaviours and how to treat each other with respect. Children enjoy the independence that staff give them. For example, they are learning to self-register with their photos, pour their own drinks and dress themselves for the garden. Staff use lots of positive praise and words of encouragement.
Staff are attentive to the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They know each child well as an individual. Staff use this knowledge to provide resources to ensure every child is included and can access the learning on offer. Staff are patient and caring and offer children ample time to explore the environment at their own pace. As a result, all children thrive and 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:
n Monitor staff practices more effectively to more consistently implement the intended changes, specifically the use of spaces within the learning environment n support staff to organise and manage large-group activities more effectively.
- 5 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 18 June 2019Good
- 20 June 2014Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Explorers Kindergarten Riverside
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.