Lordswood under 5's playgroup
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Chatham for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 September 2022. Open since 1992, 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 Medway
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Medway 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
ME5 8PGWhat 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, 6 September 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this friendly and welcoming nursery. The woodland setting is extremely inviting. On arrival, children enjoy spotting the changes to the trees throughout the year as well as squirrels collecting acorns.
These features provide a great start to the day and help to ignite children's interests and curiosity. Children benefit from good-quality teaching, which supports their learning and the good progress they make. Staff work hard to make sure all children achieve to the best of their abilities. Children behave very well. They make friends easily and form close attachments to the staff. Staff find out about children's interests and their likes and dislikes. This means that they enjoy familiar activities on entry and quickly settle into the new environment.
Children demonstrate that they feel safe at nursery. They approach staff readily for reassurance and comfort, knowing their needs will be met and staff will respond accordingly. Children develop good self-care skills. They learn to drink from a cup, pour their own milk and use a knife to cut fruit and butter their toast. Children move between the rooms and outdoor area confidently. Staff prepare them well for changes and new routines. They praise children well and celebrate achievements within the nursery as well as those shared from home.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- refine planning so that staff identify more precisely what they want children to learn from planned learning experiences, and how best to sequence learning n build on opportunities for children to learn about differences in people and the community beyond their own immediate experiences so that they understand and appreciate equality and diversity.
- 6 September 2022Good
- 10 February 2022Inadequate
- 12 March 2015Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Lordswood under 5's playgroup
- 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.