Treasure Chest Pre School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Lower Halstow 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 March 2023. Open since 2008, 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
ME9 7ESWhat 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, 20 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy attending this small and friendly pre-school. They engage in a variety of activities that support their learning and development. Management and staff have high expectations of the children in their care. They take the time to get to know the children and their interests. This helps them to assess and plan activities that engage children and extend their learning. Children gain useful skills and make good progress in readiness for school.
Staff support children to behave well. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. They develop respectful and trusting bonds with staff, who are kind, caring and patient. Children feel confident to approach staff for support and comfort.
They listen and follow simple instructions, such as tidying up before circle time.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to recognise the importance of giving children the time they need to process and express their thoughts - develop further the partnership working with parents so that parents and staff benefit from consistent opportunities for two-way discussions about the children.
- 20 March 2023Good
- 25 May 2017Good
- 16 March 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Treasure Chest 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.