Playhouse Preschool
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Maidstone for from 2 years up to school age, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2023. Open since 2012, with 40 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
We accept the governments Two year old funding, the 15 hours funding for 3 year olds and the extended 30 hour funding for working parents.
Worth knowing. The fifteen funded hours must be taken across three mornings and two afternoons. We cannot guarantee session choices, however, the more notice you can give us the higher the chance of being given your preferred session choices.
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
ME16 0PZWhat 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, 24 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and confident as they arrive at the setting. They separate from parents extremely well and are greeted by the friendly manager who uses signs to say good morning. Staff act as positive role models as they have developed warm, friendly relationships with children and know them know very well. This helps children to feel secure and settled.
Children benefit from reassurance from staff if they become upset. For example, they look at photographs of themselves and their families. This helps them to settle, and also promotes discussion about different types of families, particularly children with English as an additional language. Children begin to learn about how they are different and similar to each other.
Children are learning to share and take turns. Staff have high expectations for all children, using praise and encouragement regularly to promote positive behaviour.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- deploy staff more effectively during routine times, such as lunchtime, to enable them to develop children's knowledge and skills n strengthen staff understanding of how to use opportunities, such as during conversation, to help children extend their thoughts and ideas.
- 24 January 2023Good
- 5 May 2017Good
- 26 May 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Playhouse Preschool
- What it costs
- 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
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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.