Little Fingers Day Nursery

A baby-room limit of nine children, a separate sleep room and a single-storey building give Little Fingers Day Nursery a clear practical character. This family-run setting at Malt House Farm in Darenth combines age-group playrooms with a large garden. Its appeal lies in the details of everyday care: individual baby routines, a consistent key person and gradually increasing independence as children grow.

At its 4 October 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, while asking for better daily routines around individual care needs, especially sleep. That qualification matters. A dedicated place for babies to rest is useful, but the organisation of rest and continuing play across the nursery deserves attention too.

The nursery has capacity for 61 children, with a current age range of three months to five years. It opens throughout the year apart from bank holidays and a Christmas break. My Unique Story, a document connecting parents with their child's key person, brings home interests into activity planning and helps families follow development.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Unit accommodates up to nine babies each day, combines sensory exploration and movement with individual care routines, and has a separate sleep room alongside a playroom decorated in gentle colours with children's artwork. This is a room maximum, separate from whole-setting capacity.

In the Toddler Room, the daily maximum is 12 children, with separate play zones, opportunities to choose activities, physical challenges that encourage movement and natural materials for sensory exploration. Choosing activities gives toddlers practice in independence.

The 2-3's Room can accommodate 16 children a day and combines role play, friendships, toilet training and other self-care skills with direct access to the garden. Outdoors is therefore connected to the room's day, rather than being a wholly separate activity.

Within the Pre-School Department, children choose between construction, role play, mark making, messy play and ICT equipment, while jobs such as preparing snacks and tidying develop responsibility. Room moves take account of development as well as age. That makes the progression through the nursery about what a child is ready to manage, alongside their birthday.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS is the framework for learning, development and care: here, play and observation guide activities suited to children's interests and stage of development.

My Unique Story provides one concrete answer. A key person records observations and progress, while the document connects interests at home with those in nursery. Those observations shape subsequent activities and provide a basis for discussing developmental concerns with parents. The curriculum information explains this connection between observation, planning and communication.

In October 2023, a chick-hatching project gave children something changing to watch and discuss, introducing vocabulary associated with the process. Leaf rubbing offered another route into exploration, through patterns and textures.

Outdoor and Community Life

A spacious garden extends the play available inside the purpose-built building. Daily creative experiences include paint, water, sand and other messy materials, giving children different ways to experiment with movement and texture.

In October 2023, garden reading dens also connected outdoor space with books. Children contributed ideas for decorating them and selected books to share with friends.

Relationships and Communication

Settling-In-Sessions are free introductory visits after a place has been booked, usually with two or three sessions suggested. Parents and children begin building relationships with staff before the regular routine starts. Leaving a child with their key person during the second session is discussed with the family, rather than treated as an automatic step.

For babies, parents discuss an individual routine and care plan during settling. Online daily contact sheets and learning journeys then connect nursery care with home; toddler families also receive daily contact sheets.

Each room has a room leader, and the staffing structure includes a cook and cleaner. Management oversees daily running and provides cover when needed. This gives parents identifiable roles to understand, alongside their child's own key person.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the October 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that progress checks helped staff target gaps in learning, including for children with SEND, but some arrangements did not adequately accommodate children wanting to rest alongside those continuing to play. The concern was about daily organisation and individual needs. It should remain part of a family's assessment of care, especially where a child still needs daytime sleep.

Current baby-room arrangements include a separate sleep room and care plans discussed with parents. In October 2023, children were also practising independence through pouring drinks, using cutlery and helping to lay tables. These small responsibilities connect care with learning: children gradually take a more active part in meeting their own needs.

The cook prepares food fresh each day, with breakfast, snacks, a cooked lunch and tea organised around a two-week menu. A weaning menu supports younger babies, and the nursery makes arrangements for dietary requirements and allergies.

School preparation is practical rather than centred on formal lessons. Preschool children practise managing coats and shoes, using the toilet and helping with shared tasks. Eating and playing together also introduces experiences of a larger group, while play remains central to their learning.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery closes on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. These hours give families a substantial daily window, while the Christmas closure needs to be built into annual childcare planning.

Enquiries can be made by email or through the contact form. Registration involves completing registration and medical forms, followed by a confirmation pack when the initial deposit is paid. Settling sessions can then be arranged.

Getting There

The address is Malt House Farm, Green Street Green Road, Darenth, Kent, DA2 8DX. Care takes place in a purpose-built building on one level, with a large outdoor area.

Funding and Paid Extras

Free Early Educational (FEE) funding is offered from nine months, with 15 or 30 hours depending on family circumstances. The arrangement of funded sessions also depends on individual circumstances. That makes the funding offer relevant to younger children as well as preschool families, while keeping the entitlement separate from a particular attendance timetable.

Fees are calculated individually at booking, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The Christmas break is deducted from fees; other absences remain payable. The fees information sets out that distinction, which matters when comparing the cost of attendance with the cost of reserving a child's place.

A registration charge and deposit apply, except for children attending solely for Free Early Education hours. The deposit is paid in stages and credited against the final invoice; leaving requires one month's written notice. For families buying private childcare, these terms affect both the initial commitment and the timing of departure.

• Sleep and continuing play. The October 2023 improvement point concerned accommodating different care needs during the day. At a visit, ask how children who need rest and those who remain awake are now supported alongside one another.
• Preschool size. The Pre-School Department gives daily capacities of both 24 and 18 children. Ask which limit applies to the preschool arrangement your child would join.
• Funding and the full bill. Funded sessions depend on individual circumstances, while private fees are calculated for each child. Request a written breakdown covering the intended timetable, meals and non-food consumables, and discuss current allergy arrangements where relevant.
• Seeing the routine. Viewings must be booked and take place between 10am and 11am or 2pm and 3pm, avoiding meals and naps. Use that time to discuss room progression and how your child's home routine would inform settling.

Little Fingers suits families looking for year-round weekday care, a smaller baby-room maximum and a gradual progression towards independent play and self-care. The combination of individual baby plans, daily communication and My Unique Story gives parents several ways to remain involved.

The October 2023 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, with a specific caution about sleep routines. Sleep organisation, preschool size and the full funding arrangement are the decisive points to resolve before committing.