Little Fingers Day Nursery
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Dartford for babies from 9 months up to 5 year olds, open 07:00 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2023. Open since 2006, with 61 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Funding is available for children from 9 months old. The Nursery offers 15 or 30 hours of funding depending on your circumstances.
Worth knowing. Funded sessions vary and will depend on individual circumstances.
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
DA2 8DXWhat 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, 4 October 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The staff are passionate and kind in their approach to caring for children. They show genuine compassion through their interactions. For example, staff offer children cuddles and affection when they become upset. Children respond positively to staff's reassurance. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in the relaxed environment at the nursery. Children quickly settle into their routines and engage well in their play and learning.
Children develop positive attitudes to their learning across the nursery. The atmosphere is very calm as children engage in their learning through play. For instance, children are curious and concentrate well as they make leaf rubbings and explore new textures and patterns. Staff give children lots of time to develop new skills as they patiently support them. They offer children lots of praise, as children take pride in their achievements.
Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, staff check children's progress across the seven areas of learning and development. This enables them to highlight any gaps in learning quickly, as staff focus their support on these areas of children's development well. This ensures that all children make continuous progress from their starting points.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review and improve daily routines to further consider children's individual care needs, especially around sleep.
- 4 October 2023Good
- 6 March 2018Good
- 19 February 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Fingers Day Nursery
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.