Swanley Kindergarten Pre-School
Good★ 4.2 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Swanley for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 14:45, 3 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2025. Open since 1992, 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
BR8 8ANWhat 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.
- 24 November 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 8 May 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive to the setting eager to explore the welcoming and inviting environment. A number of indoor and outdoor activities are on offer to immediately grab their attention. Younger children are supported by staff to feel safe and secure and settle down quickly, and all children are well cared for. The environment is calm as they move around to explore their interests. Staff are intentional about what is on offer, and for that reason children are engaged from the outset. Staff are extremely skilful in how they communicate with children, and story times draw them in. They hold the children's attention as they anticipate what is going to happen next in the story.
Children are very secure in the routines, behave well and know what is expected of them. Strong relationships with their key persons are established, and children are able to play cooperatively with them. Older children are able to share and take turns, building solid friendships with their peers. Staff constantly praise the children and model behaviour that they expect. The children are also supported in developing an understanding of what is healthy and what is not, as a balanced diet is provided at snack times and lunchtimes.
Older children are making excellent progress as they prepare for the transition to primary school. The 'rising fives' session is well thought out, providing further opportunities for literacy and numeracy skills development. They are also encouraged to be independent in self-care and can express their views or opinions about moving on.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- help staff to be more consistent in using the agreed approaches to support children with SEND.
- 8 May 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 25 June 2019Good
- 16 June 2015Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Swanley Kindergarten 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.