Smilers Pre-school
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Walderslade for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 09:00 to 15:30, 5 days a week. £5.75 a session, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2024. Open since 1991, with 20 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.
| Age | Session | |
|---|---|---|
| All ages | £5.00if no funding available £5.75depending on funding available £17.00 |
Before you start
One-off charges to take a place.
- £30.00 Holding fee
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £1.00 a session Snack donation per sessionvoluntary contribution
Funded hours
The working parent entitlement for two year olds ... 15 hours per week over 38 weeks ... The Funded Early Education/ working parent entitlement for three and four year olds ... 15/29* hours per week over 38 weeks.
Worth knowing. Children in receipt of Free Early Education will be unable to access any additional fee paying hours until outstanding fees are settled.
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
ME5 9HPWhat 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, 16 October 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at the pre-school, happy and pleased to see their key person. They leave their parents with ease, and learning starts from the moment they arrive. For example, children find their name cards and self-register. This supports children to begin to recognise their name. Staff reflect on what children are interested in and use this to move children on in their learning. For example, they partly set up a train track and encourage children to use their creativity and work together to set up the rest. This helps make learning fun.
Staff are positive role models for children. They are polite and courteous to each other and the children. Children know what is expected of them. For example, children tell staff they are sharing toys, which is rewarded with praise. On occasions when staff need to support children's behaviour, they gently remind them about sharing, and issues are quickly resolved.
Staff deploy themselves well within the pre-school. They place themselves at different activities, such as the craft area, to extend learning. Children clearly enjoy painting. They think carefully about what they wish to paint when creating unique works of art. For example, they paint dinosaurs and crocodiles. Staff use this time to discuss jungles and habitats to expand children's knowledge.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- allow children sufficient time to respond when asking questions to enable them to share their ideas before offering answers n strengthen the arrangements for collecting information from parents about children's backgrounds to ensure staff have the most accurate picture to reflect and build on individual background and experiences.
- 16 October 2024Good
- 27 February 2019Good
- 21 March 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Smilers Pre-school
- 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 £5.75 a session 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.