St Stephens Playgroup
Good★ 4.8 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Chatham for children from birth to 5, open 09:10 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2023. Open since 2015, with 30 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
ME4 6JEWhat 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, 12 December 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children and their families are greeted by friendly and caring staff. Children come in happily to explore the toys and activities set out for them. They enjoy making
Christmas crafts and proudly share these with their favourite staff. This encourages their communication and creativity skills. Staff promote children's positive attitudes to learning. They frequently praise and encourage them and celebrate their achievements. Children delight in singing their favourite rhymes to their friends, and they all clap when they finish. This supports their confidence and self-esteem well. Staff encourage children's good behaviour. They are good role models.
Children offer toys to their friends and respond positively to staff.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: - strengthen supervision arrangements to support staff's own professional development needs, knowledge and skills.
- 12 December 2023Good
- 12 January 2023Needs improvement
- 4 May 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Stephens Playgroup
- 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.