Rough Common Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Canterbury for babies from 6 months up to 5 year olds, open 08:00 to 16:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025. Open since 2014, with 46 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
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
CT2 9BSWhat 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, 18 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The managers at the pre-school have put in place exceptionally supportive settlingin procedures that are tailored to meet the children's individual needs. For instance, they offer home visits to help staff build relationships with families. Staff continue this attention to detail and implement highly supportive transitions for children moving through the pre-school and on to school. Children and babies form close bonds with the nurturing and attentive staff. The children feel safe and confidently explore the extensive range of activities staff have provided for them. For example, they explore the textures of real fruit and vegetables as they play in the role-play area. Staff enable children to develop their social skills as they engage in imaginative play.
Staff plan an ambitious, sequenced curriculum that helps children to make strong progress in their learning and development. This planning ensures that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and those with English as an additional language, receive the support they need.
Children have access to a wide range of experiences that help them develop and practise their physical skills. For example, older children use tyres and crates to build an obstacle course. They are kind and take turns with friends as they confidently climb and balance along the crates. Staff make strong use of praise as they assist younger children to navigate the gaps in the tyres. They help babies to climb the slide and negotiate the space around them as they develop their coordination and muscle strength.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- extend further good teaching practices and children's learning by providing higher levels of challenge to the most able children.
- 18 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 5 April 2019Outstanding
- 10 May 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Rough Common Pre-School
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- 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
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.
- 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.