Saltwood Play and Learning Centre
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Hythe for from 2 years up to school age, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. £45.00 a day, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2022. Open since 2009, with 25 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Term time only, 38 weeks a year, price list dated September 2025.
| Age | Full day | Session | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | £45.00A full day | £22.50A half day, 3 hrs | £7.50Nursery (non-funded) hourly |
What a funded hour still costs
Funded hours cover the childcare. These are charged alongside them.
- £1.00 a session Voluntary contribution for funded hours
Funded hours
FF2, universal 15 hours, extended 30 hours, EYPP.
Worth knowing. Voluntary contribution for funded hours - £1 per funded session (£2 a day).
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
CT21 4QSWhat 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, 10 February 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are greeted by staff at the gate where parents drop them off. They are then welcomed into the setting by their key person. Children know to hang their coats and bags up, and put their lunch box on the lunch trolley and their water bottle on the table. Upon arrival, children wash their hands independently before happily finding an activity that has been thoughtfully set up for them.
Children are sociable and communicate well with each other. At mealtimes, they enjoy healthy packed lunches. Children sit together with staff and talk to each other about the food they are eating. They know to put their rubbish in the bowls provided and wash their hands afterwards.
Children behave well and are beginning to understand the consequences of their actions. They know to use 'walking feet' and 'indoor voices' when they are inside.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- build upon staff's understanding of the curriculum intent and how this is delivered to ensure children are given enough time to embed their learning and develop high levels of focus.
- 10 February 2022Good
- 20 April 2016Outstanding
- 1 June 2015Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Saltwood Play and Learning Centre
- 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.
- Is £45.00 a day still the rate? 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.