Dimples Day Nursery

A Forest School cabin, a field and gardens reached directly from the rooms give Dimples Day Nursery a clear outdoor identity. Babies use the gardens daily; children aged two and upwards have weekly Forest School sessions involving practical skills and exploration. Outdoor learning reaches across the age groups here. It is more than an occasional outing.

In Darenth, near Dartford, Dimples caters for children from nine months to five years and has capacity for 155 children. Its purpose-built premises accommodate named baby, toddler and preschool rooms, with different resources and care arrangements for each stage. At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Outstanding overall, with examples of imaginative teaching, strong relationships and considerate behaviour.

Full-day and half-day attendance serve different family routines.

Rooms and Ages

Bluebell, Buttercup and Willow cater for babies aged nine to 24 months, with access to their own gardens, shared nursery gardens and the Forest School fields. Daily outdoor play uses surfaces suitable for different weather and canopies that offer rain shelter and summer shade. Conventional toys sit alongside natural materials, giving babies different textures and objects to investigate. The baby rooms' staff:child ratio is 1:3, meeting the legal minimum for under-twos.

For children aged two to three, Daisy and Daffodil have spaces for imaginative domestic play, creative work, sand and water exploration, and quieter activities. The arrangement gives children choices within their room, including somewhere to step back from busy play. Lily also appears among both the baby and toddler room names, making room placement a useful point to discuss before joining.

Rainbow Rose, Snowdrop, Poppy and Sunflower are the preschool rooms children move to from age three, where books, labels, drawing and early writing materials support preparation for later literacy through play. Fine motor practice matters here: the preparation includes developing control of hands and fingers rather than moving straight to formal written work.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for learning and care through play, exploration and activities shaped around children's interests. Forest School and gardening add practical outdoor experiences.

Weekly Forest School sessions for children from age two use a dedicated cabin and field. Activities include den building, recognising birds and insects, working with hand drills, lighting fires and cooking over them, led by trained Forest School leaders. Children explore how tools, materials and the natural world work.

The weekly gardening club involves growing fruit and vegetables, with the harvest used in snacks and lunches. Real Food for Role Play supplies actual fruit and vegetables for pretend shopping and cooking, allowing children to compare weight, size and colour while they play. Both activities connect familiar routines with direct experience rather than relying entirely on toy versions.

In November 2022, toddlers followed an outdoor story trail with concealed animals, using animal noises to anticipate what might come next. Older children explored dinosaur skeleton images using light boxes, then examined horse bones to connect the pictures with physical objects. These examples show how a story or a strong interest could become a starting point for language, prediction and investigation at that time.

Outdoor and Community Life

Every room has direct outdoor access, allowing children to choose indoor or outdoor play. Suitable outdoor clothing is part of everyday preparation.

In November 2022, experiences included catching and preparing fish for cooking, a farrier demonstration and visits to a care home. Annual Save the Bee events helped children explore bee protection; growing produce, caring for pets and recycling also featured in the nursery day. These were tangible ways of connecting children's interests with the lives of people, animals and plants beyond their room.

Relationships and Communication

Every child has a Key Person, responsible where possible for planning activities, observing development and providing everyday care. That person is also the parent's first contact. Other members of the room team cover shifts, holidays and absences, so the arrangement combines a familiar relationship with support from colleagues.

Two free settling sessions in the week before starting introduce the child's Key Person. Families meet a new Key Person when their child moves rooms.

Parents and carers are encouraged to participate in nursery life. In November 2022, discovery bags provided activity ideas, explanations and equipment for learning at home.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding arrangements and well-coordinated support for children with SEND, including careful attention to emotional needs during room changes. One example involved moving a familiar nursery tortoise with a child to their next room. It illustrates the attention paid at that time to what made an individual transition manageable.

Trained Designated Safeguarding Leads, concern-sharing procedures and work with external agencies provide routes for responding to children's needs.

In the toddler rooms, children have their own cot or sleep mat, bedding and a quiet area for resting. Potty training can begin at nursery with parental agreement and support, allowing home and nursery to work together. After lunch, children are encouraged to brush their teeth with a toothbrush brought from home and toothpaste supplied by the nursery.

Food is prepared on site by a cook and assistant, with meat sourced from a local butcher and fruit and vegetables from a local greengrocer. The gardening harvest also reaches children's snacks and lunches, linking the growing activities with mealtimes.

Sessions and Attendance

Dimples offers full-day and half-day attendance, and opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6.30pm. It operates throughout the year, closing on bank holidays.

The toddler staff:child ratio is 1:4, better than the legal minimum of 1:5 for two-year-olds. The planned preschool staff:child ratio is 1:6, better than the legal minimum of 1:8 for children aged three and over. These are staffing ratios, not room capacities.

Getting There

The address is Green Street, Green Road, Darenth, DA2 7HT, near Dartford. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01322 285885 or by email at enquiries@dimplesnursery.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

Dimples offers 15 and 30 free hours of education per week for preschool children, from the term after their third birthday, as part of full-day or half-day attendance. Funded hours reduce the childcare bill; meals attract an additional charge, and attendance beyond the funded hours also adds to the cost. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

For babies, nappies and wipes are supplied without an extra charge. Consumable arrangements differ by item: parents provide a toothbrush for toddler toothbrushing, while toothpaste is supplied by the nursery.

All preschool children wear the Dimples uniform, while it is not compulsory in the younger rooms. Nursery-branded clothing and waterproof clothing can be ordered through the office. With outdoor play in different weather, clothing is a practical part of the routine rather than an occasional trip requirement.

• Lily room placement. Lily is named in both the baby and toddler age groups. During a visit, ask which room and age group would accommodate your child, and how the move between stages is handled.
• Outdoor practical activities. Forest School includes tools, fire lighting and outdoor cooking from age two. Discuss how activities are adapted to your child's stage and what clothing they will need for regular outdoor play.
• The funded-hours bill. Preschool funding sits within full-day or half-day attendance, with meals charged separately and extra attendance affecting the total. Ask for a written quotation for your intended pattern, with each charge identified.
• Preschool clothing. Uniform is worn by all preschool children, and outdoor play continues across different weather. Include uniform and suitable outdoor clothing in your preparations before your child moves into this stage.

Dimples suits families seeking either full-day or half-day attendance with an outdoor emphasis that begins in the baby rooms and develops into weekly practical Forest School sessions. The cabin, field, gardening club and use of real food in play give that approach substance. Planned toddler and preschool ratios above the legal minimum add another concrete reason to consider it.

The November 2022 Outstanding judgement supports the nursery's educational reputation, while its current offer gives parents specific arrangements to weigh: individual Key Persons, settling sessions, daily baby outdoor play and preschool uniform. Families comfortable with an active outdoor routine, and with the additional costs attached to funded attendance, have clear reasons to put Dimples under consideration.