Spring – St Bart's House
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Sandwich for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2025. Open since 2019, with 80 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
CT13 0BSWhat 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.
- 23 December 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 13 February 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 21 April 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 7 January 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children and their families are greeted with smiles by kind and caring staff who know them well. This helps children to feel secure. Children enter eagerly, keen to explore the activities set up for them and to play with their friends. Managers and staff work hard to create engaging learning environments where children's needs and interests are prioritised. Children spend a long time exploring play dough, learning how to roll it in different ways with tools. They sustain concentration, making different shapes and proudly sharing these with staff, who respond with warmth and praise. This supports children's emotional well-being successfully.
Staff provide children with activities that motivate and interest them. Children delight in making shaving foam 'cakes', which they share with their friends. They have in-depth conversations with staff about how to 'ice' them. This develops children's imagination and creativity skills. Staff promote children's language skills well. They are good role models, extending children's understanding of new words.
Children enjoy learning about the 'crest' of a mountain and use vocabulary such as
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen staff's skills in helping children to develop a greater understanding of the impact of their actions on others n support staff to establish a more consistent approach to supporting young children's developing independence skills.
- 7 January 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 6 August 2024Inadequate
- 25 August 2021Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Spring – St Bart's House
- 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.