Littlebourne Ladybirds Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Canterbury for children from birth to 5, open 08:30 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2025. Open since 1996, 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
CT3 1XSWhat 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, 30 April 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thrive in the care of dedicated and experienced staff. The pre-school is a hive of happy children, chatting and playing with their friends. Staff use routines to help children feel settled and secure. Children tell staff that they are looking forward to playing with their best friend. Leaders plan a well-sequenced curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. For example, staff take children on a nature walk to look for insects and plants. In the pre-school garden, children explore with magnifying glasses to look for ants. Staff help children to draw blossom and decorate butterfly pictures to take home. These experiences help children to explore and discuss what they have learned.
Staff design lunchtime as a social occasion when everyone sits together. Children get their own packed-lunch box and talk about the raspberries that they have for dessert. Staff encourage children to tidy up after themselves and wash up their own cups and plates. This helps children to develop their independence and do things for themselves. Generally, children's behaviour is good. Staff are quick to intervene when children have disagreements. They encourage them to share and explain why they should not take another child's toy.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review and improve the organisation of some routines, such as group sessions, so that all children have access to the full and varied curriculum n support staff to build on their interactions with children to help develop their communication and language skills further.
- 30 April 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 16 October 2019Good
- 6 January 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Littlebourne Ladybirds 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.