Woodlands Under 5's Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Maidstone for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 14:30, 4 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2025. Open since 1982, with 32 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
ME14 5QFWhat 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 January 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children clearly enjoy their time at this welcoming nursery. Staff greet children with warmth and care, helping them to detach from their parents. Children form strong bonds with familiar staff. Staff find out key details about children before they attend. They work closely with parents to help provide children with the comfort and consistency they need to feel secure.
The carefully considered curriculum enables children to make good progress in their learning and development. Staff provide a wide range of experiences that appeal to all ages and stages of development. They confidently describe children's interests and use these to engage them in meaningful play and experiences. Staff encourage children to keep trying during activities. The environment is calm and purposeful, and children show high levels of engagement.
The curriculum has a strong focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. Children are encouraged to share details of their diverse backgrounds with friends. For example, they can show photographs of their pets, family, and links to other countries. Children compare the similarities and differences of their culture and find out what makes them special and unique.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen staff's understanding of how to implement support plans for children with SEND fully consistently during daily routines n support staff to introduce more mathematical concepts into everyday play, to extend children's developing mathematical knowledge.
- 20 January 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 24 April 2019Outstanding
- 8 October 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Woodlands Under 5's 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.