Parkwood 'Poppets' Playgroup
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Gillingham for from 1 year 6 months up to 5 year olds, open 09:15 to 14:30, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2023. Open since 1977, with 25 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Funding for all children between the ages of 18 months and 5 years, 5 funded morning sessions totalling 15 hours, up to 26 hours of the 30 hour funding.
Worth knowing. Consumable fee for the morning sessions is £30.00 per a term and the charge for afternoon sessions is £15.00.
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
ME8 9PNWhat 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, 8 December 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children smile as they enter this warm and welcoming playgroup, where they choose from the wide range of experiences on offer. Children build strong relationships with staff who know their individual needs and characters well. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Children benefit from a range of different learning activities, both inside and outside. For example, they have use of the various facilities at the local community centre and visit the nearby shops and post office. Children become absorbed in their learning as they are encouraged to explore the world around them.
Staff know the children as unique individuals and enhance the resources and play equipment on a regular basis. Children enjoy a rich and varied curriculum that is tailored to their individual needs. For example, staff create opportunities for children to explore various items in the water tray. Children enjoy the exploration of the sparkling pom-poms and small floating tubs. They practise pouring and scooping the water into the tubs and enjoy the sensory experience. Children learn new vocabulary and describe what makes the items float and sink. Skilled staff adapt the activity to suit all abilities and ensure that children make the best possible progress.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- improve the organisation of group activities to ensure that they meet each child's needs and maintain their interest n support all staff to be consistent in reinforcing rules and boundaries so that children understand what is expected.
- 8 December 2023Good
- 12 June 2023Inadequate
- 5 December 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Parkwood 'Poppets' Playgroup
- What it costs
- Meals
- Nappies
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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.