Little Feet of Ebbsfleet

A football coach and a gardener each visiting fortnightly give Little Feet of Ebbsfleet a practical, hands-on character. Based at the Scouts Hall on Church Road in Swanscombe, it combines play-led learning with gardening and coached physical activity. These are concrete ways for children to explore, move and practise new skills.

At its May 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. It has 28 places in total; the children attending at that inspection were aged two to four. The capacity describes the whole setting, rather than the number of children in any particular activity or group.

Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance patterns give families different ways to organise preschool time. The important educational reservation concerns older children: extending their early number and literacy learning, and making more use of books, were the improvement priorities in May 2024.

Learning and Activities

EYFS guides the learning here: children develop through play, with staff planning activities around their interests. That means the starting point can be something familiar to a child rather than an adult-selected topic. Football and gardening add specific experiences alongside this framework.

A football coach visits fortnightly to introduce skills and get children active. Gardening also has a fortnightly visiting specialist, with children planting different things. The gardening work introduces textures, scents and growing food, giving children something tangible to investigate. The two activities bring different kinds of participation: movement and practice with a coach, and exploration through planting.

In May 2024, children grew potatoes in raised flower beds and put out bird seed. Those physical features made nature part of the setting itself. Growing something and observing birds gave children opportunities to notice what happens around them, rather than encountering nature only as a topic in conversation.

Play also connected with family life. In May 2024, dolls were used to respond to children who had recently gained a baby sibling. Staff joined pretend baking involving minibeasts, introducing vocabulary as children handled the materials. These examples show how familiar experiences and imaginative play could become opportunities for conversation.

The home corner contained objects that prompted exploration of different cultures, while books introduced celebrations elsewhere. In May 2024, older children also practised taking responsibility for their belongings. Everyday independence was part of preparation for their next stage, alongside the learning activities.

Relationships and Communication

Tapestry, an online learning journal, gives parents a way to follow their child's experiences. Newsletters and a WhatsApp group provide further channels for communication. Together, they offer different ways to keep in touch, from an individual child's learning record to information shared with families.

In May 2024, staff gathered information about children's lives before they started, and key persons used that understanding in their care. Settling began with getting to know the family. This matters because a child's interests, home circumstances and needs can shape both the activities offered and the support they receive.

Information was also shared with the settings children moved on to, including schools, in May 2024. That creates a practical connection between stages: the next setting can learn about the child rather than starting with a blank picture. It is transition support, with no admissions advantage implied.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff worked with parents and other agencies to support children with SEND and speech-development gaps, while identifying the need for more challenging early mathematics and literacy activities for older children and stronger encouragement of interest in books. The balance matters: individual support and preparation for the next stage sat alongside specific weaknesses in extending learning.

Policies cover SEN support action plans, allergies and food intolerance, medicine administration and key-person supervision. These identify the arrangements families can discuss in relation to their own child; the existence of a policy does not replace an individual conversation about how support will work.

In May 2024, staff reinforced everyday expectations through snack-time routines, turn-taking and sharing. Children were encouraged to consider their friends and their own safety. Care was woven into ordinary activities, as well as the more formal arrangements.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, with afternoon sessions from noon to 3pm. Full-day attendance is also offered. The timetable gives opening hours of 9am to 3pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to noon on Friday, so the shorter Friday needs to be considered when planning a week's attendance.

In May 2024, the setting operated during term time. Families seeking a preschool rhythm have a different practical decision from those arranging care throughout school holidays: the calendar matters as much as the length of each session.

Getting There

The address is Scouts Hall, 110 Church Road, Swanscombe, DA10 0HJ. General enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 07939898634.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery accepts the entitlements described as 15 free hours for two-year-olds and 30 hours government funding for three- to four-year-olds, subject to eligibility. Paid attendance is also offered, with current prices obtained in a written quotation from the nursery; payment by direct debit or childcare vouchers is due at the start of each month.

Little Feet is a uniform-wearing setting. T-shirts, jumpers and backpacks can be purchased, so clothing is another practical consideration alongside the attendance pattern.

• Older children's learning. The May 2024 priorities were greater challenge in early mathematics and literacy, and more encouragement to explore books. On a visit, ask how independent play now extends these skills.
• Friday and holiday planning. Friday opening ends at noon, and operation was term-time only in May 2024. Discuss the current calendar when choosing between morning, afternoon and full-day attendance.
• Food and everyday supplies. When discussing a place, ask how meals, snacks and non-food consumables are arranged and charged, including during funded hours.

Little Feet of Ebbsfleet suits families choosing morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those wanting full-day attendance within its timetable. Fortnightly football and gardening give its play-led offer concrete variety, while Tapestry provides a route for following a child's learning. The Good judgement from May 2024 sits alongside a clear educational question for families with older children: how much challenge they now receive in early number work, literacy and exploring books.