The Grange Montessori
Outstanding★ 4.8 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Kent for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in February 2023. Open since 2010, with 94 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
CT11 9LJWhat 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.
- 22 January 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 21 February 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children access a rich, enabling environment, where their individual personalities and characters are passionately nurtured and developed. Children are cared for by highly skilled and experienced staff, who know their key children well. Children benefit from carefully planned learning experiences that build upon what they already know and can do. For example, children who have been learning about mixing colours are provided with primary coloured paints and real cut flowers to experiment with. One child proudly explains that they need more blue paint to mix with red and yellow because she is mixing a brown muddy puddle.
Children's behaviour is excellent, and very young children demonstrate the ability to share, take turns and cooperate with their friends. For example, children in the room for two-year olds listen carefully to staff, who help them to negotiate and compromise with one another. Children are able to consider suggested options, ask questions and show empathy for the feelings of others. All children are keen to help to tidy up and relish the responsibility of using low-level sinks to wash resources in the classroom.
All children demonstrate high levels of engagement in the activities and experiences available. Pre-school children remain engrossed in their learning for significant periods of time. This allows them the time and space to practise newly developed skills and to test out their ideas and understanding. All children make exceptional progress in their learning and development.
- 21 February 2023Outstanding
- 13 February 2019Good
- 30 June 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Grange Montessori
- 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.