St Mark's Preschool
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Gillingham for children from birth to 8+, open 09:15 to 15:15, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2022. Open since 1992, with 34 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 Medway
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Medway 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
ME7 5JAWhat 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, 9 December 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and confident. They leave their parents at the door and enter with a smile. Children settle quickly and become absorbed in their play, showing that they feel safe and secure. They enjoy exploring activities that are based around their interests and build on what they already know and can do. Children form strong bonds with the staff, who are kind and caring in their approach. They seek them out for comfort, help and support.
All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points. The special educational needs coordinator monitors children's needs. She works closely with external agencies, children's key person and parents to ensure they receive the support they need to enable them to make progress in their learning and development and achieve their full potential.
Staff have high expectations for children, especially with regards to their behaviour.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- extend staff's skills to enable them to build on their interactions with older children, to further extend their learning n develop a curriculum for mathematics and maximise opportunities to teach mathematical skills and concepts.
- 9 December 2022Good
- 12 May 2017Good
- 18 May 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Mark's Preschool
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.