The Wendy House At St Michaels
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Maidstone for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 November 2024. Open since 2016, with 44 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
ME16 8BSWhat 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, 21 November 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy the time that they spend at the pre-school. Staff get to know the children well and plan effectively to help them settle. For example, staff lay out their favourite activities so children arrive happy and ready to interact. Staff are passionate about the education that they provide to ensure children learn through play. Role play is set up to help children recognise jobs people do in the community. For example, staff carefully organise resources to reflect a doctor's surgery, hairdressers and a building site. Generally, children's behaviour is good.
Staff support them when they need help to regulate their emotions.
Staff value each child's culture, and this is a focus across the curriculum. Staff learn key words from a large range of countries so that they can greet each child in their home language. Families and children look forward to the international week that the pre-school organises. Children see people in their traditional dress, sing songs and eat a wide range of food. Alongside this, staff take children to the local care home each week. They enjoy listening to stories and playing games with the residents. Children are learning about the diverse community that they live in and preparing for a life in modern Britain.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support children to build on their independence skills and learn to do things for themselves n review and improve systems for staff to support and learn from each other and further develop practice.
- 21 November 2024Good
- 13 March 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Wendy House At St Michaels
- 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.