Marden Pre-School Playgroup
OutstandingBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Tonbridge 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 Outstanding by Ofsted in May 2025. Open since 1969, with 40 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
TN12 9JXWhat 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, 9 May 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The friendly and nurturing staff welcome children into a highly stimulating and creative environment. Children thrive while they gain skills and develop attitudes that provide them with a strong foundation for their future learning. Staff design a well-sequenced curriculum that is expertly tailored around children's interests and learning styles. This provides all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language, with the opportunities they need to make significant progress in their learning.
Staff establish a supportive culture of mutual respect, honesty and collaboration with children and their families. This is reflected in the way children play cooperatively alongside one another, demonstrating an appreciation of their friends, the staff and the environment. For example, children listen carefully to one another during focused small-group activities. Staff politely remind them of the importance of waiting their turn to speak. This provides children with the skills they need to communicate effectively and to make strong friendships.
Staff consistently go 'above and beyond' to provide children and families with the right support at the right time. For instance, when they see potential gaps in children's learning or well-being, they use additional funding to provide timely and well-researched interventions. This enriches the curriculum to boost children's health, welfare, skills and knowledge.
- 9 May 2025Outstanding Safeguarding: Yes
- 16 September 2019Good
- 24 May 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Marden Pre-School 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.