Poppins Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Gillingham for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2023. Open since 1996, with 52 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 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
ME7 5BUWhat 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, 27 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff are nurturing and provide a warm and welcoming environment for children.
This means that children are happy on arrival and eager to play. Children start their day with a group activity. They stretch all their muscles to settle and prepare for the day ahead. The flexible environment is carefully organised to meet the interests of every child. For example, when children talk about sea-life animals, staff swiftly change the environment. They set up activities to ensure that children can explore and learn about what they have discussed. Children have opportunities to explore sensory resources. They make 'rainbow lollies' from sparkly play dough and birthday cakes using slime. Children's behaviour is good and they talk about the friends that they have in the pre-school.
The dedicated and passionate staff ensure that all children make good progress against their starting points. They achieve this by successfully creating secure attachments with children using a key-person approach. Daily planning is then tailored to children's needs. High ratios of staff to children ensure that those who require more support receive plenty of help. For example, children who need it receive targeted intervention, one-to-one support and close attention during smallgroup work. This helps to develop children's social skills and prepares them for the next stage in their learning.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop the way in which staff ask questions to help broaden children's thinking skills, recollection of knowledge and the development of their vocabulary n increase opportunities for children to learn about cultural diversity in their community and the wider world.
- 27 January 2023Good
- 15 June 2017Good
- 26 March 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Poppins 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.