St Mary's Under 5's Preschool
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Greenhithe for children from birth to 5, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025. Open since 2010, with 40 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
DA9 9DQWhat 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, 5 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders and staff provide a caring environment and promote children's learning well. All children receive strong support from staff, who have positive relationships with them and their families. Children are happy and settled and actively engage with the resources and the adults supporting them. The children enthusiastically join in with the well-planned group activities. For example, three- and four-year-old children giggle with staff when doing a group exercise activity to music.
Staff teach the children independence skills in a calm and natural way, and they provide clear direction. Even children who have joined the pre-school very recently show that they are comfortable in the setting and familiar with the routines. For example, children are happy to join the snack table and wait their turn. They enjoy helping themselves to food and drinks and independently wash their hands well.
The children confidently interact with other children and staff. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective. Staff work hard to develop strong connections with all the children. They liaise effectively with specialist professionals and parents. They actively collaborate to get additional help for individual children. This supports all children to make good progress.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance the opportunities for children to develop their listening and concentration skills in readiness for school.
- 5 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 3 July 2019Outstanding
- 25 September 2013Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Mary's Under 5'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.