Squirrels Pre-School CIO
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Canterbury for from 2 years 6 months up to 5 year olds, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. £21.00 a session, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2023. Open since 2017, with 20 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Should your child not be eligible yet for funding or you would like some extra sessions on top of the funded ones then our fee is £21,- per 3 hour session.
One published rate. What you pay depends on the days you need and the funded hours you can claim.
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
2 year old (Free for Two Funding), 3&4 year old (Universal Funding) and 30 hours (Working Parent Entitlement).
Worth knowing. The Free for 2 and Universal Funding gives a child 5 sessions (15 hours) per week and we can provide 27 hours of Working Parent Entitlement (subject to availability).
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 7ABWhat 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, 8 December 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children and their families are warmly welcomed at this friendly setting. Children settle quickly to explore the activities set up for them. They delight in purchasing items from the role-play café with pretend money, chatting with their friends in the queue. This develops their communication and mathematical skills effectively. Staff encourage children's independence well. Children choose their own snacks and pour their own drinks. After snack time, they help to put the things away. This supports their confidence. Staff plan interesting activities for children based on their interests. Children enjoy exploring the 'winter wonderland' that staff have set up, and they talk about snow and different animals they find outside. This encourages their understanding of the world around them.
Staff have high expectations of children. They encourage and support them, praising their good behaviour. This helps children to develop positive self-esteem.
Staff are vigilant about children's safety. They gently remind children how to use the climbing equipment safely outside. Children take care to manage their personal space when energetically dancing to Christmas songs with their friends. This helps them to develop their social skills. Staff promote children's creative skills. Children spend time mixing ingredients together to make 'reindeer food'. They proudly share what they have made with staff, who celebrate their achievements. This supports their emotional well-being.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance the guidance for staff to develop their confidence in supporting children's individual needs effectively, particularly for children with SEND.
- 8 December 2023Good
- 13 June 2023Inadequate
- 27 November 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Squirrels Pre-School CIO
- 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 £21.00 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.