Twinkles Preschool
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Gravesend for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 12:30, 4 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2023. Open since 2016, with 25 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
All children will receive automatic government funding from the term after their third birthday that is within the birth, date, cut off date, this entitles them to 15 hours of free sessions a week.
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
DA12 5NQWhat 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, 18 July 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and secure at this pre-school. The staff team has developed warm and welcoming relationships with the children, which help to build children's self-esteem. Children are confident and show excitement as they anticipate what staff are going to set up next.
Staff set up the indoor and outside environment to provide a range of activities well. They carefully consider what it is that they want children to learn. Children explore as they independently select what they would like to play with.
Staff promote children's interest in books and stories effectively. They include books that link to the learning focus as they set activities. For instance, children explore model dinosaurs and gain a deep understanding of dinosaurs as they explore books and stories about them. They learn the different names for dinosaurs and what they prefer to eat.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the organisation of routine changes to ensure that children are well prepared for what is happening next and transition through activities with minimal disruption to their learning n enhance the information given to parents about their children's experiences during each session to help them support children and understand about their day.
- 18 July 2023Good
- 31 January 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Twinkles Preschool
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? 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.