Madginford Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Maidstone for children from birth to 8+, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2023. Open since 1991, with 28 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
ME15 8LHWhat 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, 11 May 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The new, enthusiastic manager has engaged well with the local authority, which has provided guidance and support to help make improvements since the last inspection. She is passionate about the pre-school and the care provided for all children. The curriculum has clear aims for children's learning, and staff plan inspiring activities to encourage children to make good progress. The staff team is dedicated to giving children a wide range of new learning experiences to build on their interests. For example, staff plan outings to the local library and promote shared reading at home to help increase children's interest in books and develop their early literacy skills.
Children settle extremely well on arrival. Staff spend time during the settling-in period to gather detailed information about children's backgrounds, previous experiences, individual routines and interests. Staff carefully use this information to support children's personal and emotional needs. Children establish strong bonds with their key person and familiar staff, who are caring and responsive to children's individual needs. Children play well together and are kind and respectful. They share ideas and help one another to complete tasks successfully. For example, children discuss the best way to connect blocks to make a particular model.
Children behave well and are enthusiastic learners. They eagerly join in with planned activities and are keen to talk about previous experiences. This helps children to build on what they already know. For example, children enjoy creating pictures of a butterfly and talk about their understanding of the life cycle of a butterfly.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to recognise how they can expand on developing children's learning further during adult-directed activities n target professional training for staff to enhance their practice to even higher levels.
- 11 May 2023Good
- 1 December 2022Inadequate
- 11 January 2022Needs improvement
- 28 April 2016Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 4 graded inspections.
Still missing for Madginford 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.