St. Martin's Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Folkestone for children from birth to 5, open 08:55 to 14:55, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2023. Open since 2015, with 25 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
CT20 3EPWhat 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, 11 July 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are extremely eager to come into the pre-school. They quickly settle into the routine of the day and investigate the exciting range of activities on offer. Staff provide a calm, nurturing environment. The children confidently explore and feel safe and secure at the pre-school. Children's behaviour is good and appropriate for their age. They are kind to their friends. For example, they pour drinks of water for their friends who are busy building in the construction area. Staff encourage children to talk about emotions and how they are feeling. For instance, they make good use of colours and stories to teach children about recognising and dealing with their emotions.
Supporting children to develop the skills needed for the next stage in their development is important to staff. For example, children choose what they would like to eat at snack time before sitting down to eat with friends. Staff teach them about how to care for the planet. For instance, children learn about how to recycle.
They are especially eager to place the food waste into the wormery to feed the worms.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide a higher level of challenge to the most able children to help extend their learning even further - ensure that younger children are engaged in purposeful learning throughout the day.
- 11 July 2023Good
- 10 January 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for St. Martin's Pre-School
- 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.