Lyndhurst Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Sittingbourne for children from birth to 8+, open 08:30 to 17:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2025. Open since 2004, with 47 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
ME10 1NSWhat 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, 26 February 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are excited to come into the nursery and feel safe as they interact with both staff and peers. The staff provide the children with a broad range of activities that successfully promote all areas of their learning. For instance, younger children roll out the play dough and cut out shapes as they develop their hand-eye coordination. Older children create large play dough cakes in preparation for their princess party. They enjoy dressing up as princesses and participating in role play as they develop their imagination. Staff ensure all children receive high-quality interactions that successfully support them with their emotional well-being and extend their learning. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children with English as an additional language.
The staff have a good knowledge of the children's interests and use this to help plan a well-sequenced curriculum. For example, the younger children are fascinated by the rainbow they see in the sky. The staff use this interest in rainbows to plan a painting activity. The children are eager to use different tools to paint their own rainbow pictures. The staff name the colours with the children as they paint and offer children opportunities to explore making marks as they develop their fine motor skills.
The children's behaviour is appropriate to their stage of development. They are learning about emotions as they begin to socialise and take turns with friends. For instance, staff encourage the use of sand timers, explaining how they work so that children know when it is their turn.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the planning and organisation of group activities to more effectively include and engage all children taking part n review and improve daily routines to reduce unnecessarily long waiting periods for children.
- 26 February 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 30 July 2019Good
- 12 November 2014Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Lyndhurst Nursery
- 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.