White Road Preschool
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Chatham for children from birth to 8+, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 December 2021. Open since 1993, with 39 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 Medway
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Medway 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
ME4 5UNWhat 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, 6 December 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children happily arrive at the pre-school and staff are readily available to welcome them. Staff fully understand the different ways in which individual children settle upon separating from their parents. They allow children the time they need to decide when they are ready to explore the activities. This enables them to settle well and to engage in purposeful learning experiences. Children develop an awareness of emotions. They actively engage with staff, exploring feelings of happiness and sadness in ways which they can understand.
Children thoroughly enjoy outdoor play. Staff provide effective supervision to enable children to take risks in safe surroundings. Children learn to climb on a wide variety of equipment, and staff are always on hand to offer support and words of guidance. This enables children to think through their actions and to assess risks.
Children access a well-planned environment that is rich in learning opportunities and experiences. They take part in activities that staff successfully target to enable each child to gain new skills they require for their next stage of learning. Children enjoy messy play and squeal and laugh as they clap their hands, spraying the shaving foam into the air. They develop their speaking skills, for example when the staff member asks them what it looks like and they comment that it is snowing.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review and revise the noise levels throughout the day to enable all children's views to be shared and to continue their enjoyment of activities n continue to enhance staff's awareness of the intent to build on children's understanding of respect for others and equipment.
- 6 December 2021Good
- 14 May 2018Good
- 15 May 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for White Road Preschool
- 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.