Pipsqueaks
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Queenborough for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2023. Open since 2003, with 44 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
ME11 5HAWhat 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.
- 30 January 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 12 April 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children and families are welcomed by smiling, friendly staff who know them well at this happy and safe setting. Children play well with their friends. They display high levels of independence. They are kind to each other. They help set up snack time, sharing out the snacks and showing their friends how to cut up strawberries and slice apples. Staff create an environment which meets the needs of all children.
They are good role models. Children benefit from a range of activities and resources set out for them that interest and engage them.
Staff have high expectations of children, frequently praising their efforts and encouraging them to keep on trying. Staff and children celebrate each other's successes, high fiving each other when they all work hard together. Children have very positive attitudes to their learning. They delight in exploring large bubbles which they make with hoops in a tray. Staff have successfully prioritised gaps in children's learning since the COVID-19 pandemic. They extend children's language through stories and thoughtful conversations. For example, they explain to the children how their bubbles make rainbows when the light 'splits'. Children remain engrossed and engaged making their own rainbows.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen staff training and professional development opportunities further, to focus more precisely on helping all staff to build on their knowledge, understanding and skills.
- 12 April 2023Good
- 9 November 2022Inadequate
- 15 December 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Pipsqueaks
- 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.