Rainbow Day Nursery
Good★ 4.8 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Dartford 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 November 2024. Open since 2000, with 124 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
DA1 2LPWhat 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, 26 November 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children of all ages and abilities are settled, confident and happy during their time at the welcoming setting. All staff have a good understanding of their motivating and challenging curriculum. They plan activities they know children will benefit from and enjoy. For example, babies use water and fish and cars and paint in ageappropriate ways to explore textures and patterns. When children have an interest in winter, staff set up an activity to encourage children to explore ice and Arctic animals. Children learn about animals who inhabit in the Arctic. They explore how to melt the ice to free the animals. This is adapted well for younger children who explore Arctic animals in foam.
Staff teach children about the importance of following good hygiene routines and children learn about the benefits of washing away germs. Staff help all children develop good physical skills and learn how to move in different ways. This is demonstrated when they confidently and safely build and negotiate appropriate equipment. This includes climbing walls, tunnels and balancing beams. Staff teach children about other peoples' traditions and cultures from around the world. This includes talking about and celebrating Black History Month. Children enjoy listening to African music and try African traditional dishes, such as jollof chicken and rice.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- build on staff's confidence to provide consistently high-quality interactions throughout all parts of the routine, particularly lunchtime n support staff to consistently provide children with a good understanding of why they are being asked to stop particular actions.
- 26 November 2024Good
- 15 February 2019Good
- 30 October 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Rainbow Day Nursery
- 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.