Tinkerbells at the Clock Tower
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Church Milton, Sittingbourne 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 April 2022. Open since 2012, with 26 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
ME10 2RQWhat 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, 27 April 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are warmly greeted at the nursery door and leave parents confidently and excited to begin their day. Children show increasing independence when they enter by hanging up their own coats and washing their hands before exploring the environment and activities that staff have prepared for them. These skills support children in being prepared for their eventual move to school.
Children gain good physical skills as they experiment with how to move their bodies to cross the obstacle course in the garden. They use their arms to help balance themselves as they cross beams and jump up and down from equipment. Children are keen to use the tricycles and successfully pedal up and down the slopes in the garden laughing with delight as they learn how to pedal to make themselves go faster.
Children demonstrate that they enjoy the learning opportunities provided for them.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support children to take more responsibility for their environment and the resources they use, to help them build further on their sense of responsibility and safety n ensure staff consistently model language and new vocabulary to build on children's communication skills.
- 27 April 2022Good
- 7 October 2016Outstanding
- 8 July 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Tinkerbells at the Clock Tower
- 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.