The Rainbow Tree Day Nursery

A separate sleeping space for babies, toddler rooms upstairs and preschool rooms downstairs give The Rainbow Tree Day Nursery a clear progression through the early years. Outdoor play has its own place too: two garden areas, with a smaller space reserved for babies, extend the day beyond indoor activities. The practical appeal is the separation of spaces for different purposes, rather than expecting eating, energetic play and rest to happen in the same room.

At its 17 November 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall and in every assessed area, found safeguarding effective and described staff collaborating with external agencies to support children with special educational needs or disabilities. That is a dated assessment. The nursery accepts children from 3 months to 5 years and has 70 places in total.

Based at The Old Casino on Wellington Street in Gravesend, Rainbow Tree combines age-based rooms with individual routines and a key-person system.

Rooms and Ages

Purple Room accommodates children aged 3 to 24 months, with separate spaces for soft play and reading, sensory and messy activities, and sleep, plus outdoor space reserved for babies. The division matters most at this age. A child needing rest has a dedicated sleeping space, while play and meals have other places to happen. Individual routines are accommodated alongside the room's general rhythm. The baby department uses a staff:child ratio of 1:3, the statutory minimum for children under two.

Green Room serves two- and three-year-olds, combining daily sensory exploration and pretend play with practical independence, supported by low toilets, sinks, potties, changing facilities and a separate room for naps. Pouring drinks and learning to use the toilet are part of the day rather than tasks detached from play. The physical arrangements allow children at different stages to practise these skills, while those still needing daytime sleep can continue their routine.

Pre-School serves three- and four-year-olds, emphasising children's choices, shared play, problem-solving and self-care, with garden activities and child-height washing and toileting facilities. This is preparation for school through everyday habits: choosing an activity, attempting a difficulty and managing personal care. Children have scope to make decisions, with staff encouraging them to think through what they are doing.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning, development and care: children practise language, physical skills, independence and thinking through play and daily routines. Toddlers explore sensory materials and pretend play; preschool children choose resources and work through problems.

In November 2021, activities were adjusted to the children taking part, with a clear purpose behind the play. Younger children explored textured number pebbles; older children gathered leaves and conkers on woodland outings and used them for sorting and counting. Books also had a dedicated space, including a tepee and cushions, and older children discussed possible story developments. These are useful examples of how conversation and mathematics entered play at that time, rather than standing apart as formal lessons.

Outdoor and Community Life

The gardens contain bikes, climbing frames, a slide, garden games and a mud kitchen. Children use them throughout the year and in different weather conditions, except when conditions are judged too extreme. That gives physical play a regular place in nursery life and provides a change of setting from the indoor rooms.

Babies have their own smaller outdoor area. In November 2021, outdoor experiences included musical toys on a veranda, chalk drawing about feelings and climbing challenges for older children. The examples show different uses of outdoor space across ages, from exploration to expressing emotions and testing movement.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who works with the family and follows their development. Communication combines digital updates with a conversation at collection, so the daily account is not confined to an app. Famly, the nursery's communication and tracking app, carries photographs and messages alongside information about meals, toileting, observations and progress. For parents, that brings practical care details and learning updates into the same channel.

Room moves involve parents and an introduction to the next key person. Babies move towards Green Room around their second birthday; toddlers prepare to move downstairs to Pre-School as their third birthday approaches. The useful feature is the planned connection between the adults caring for a child, rather than treating a birthday as an abrupt change of room. Home routines are followed where achievable, including naps for toddlers who still need them.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Current staffing arrangements include a SENCO role and designated safeguarding lead roles, organising support and safeguarding responsibility.

November 2021 also brought two development priorities: staff training needed to connect more closely with the nursery's learning plans, and parents needed more guidance for supporting individual learning at home.

Food is cooked on the premises each day, with breakfast, fruit snacks, a hot lunch and a lighter tea forming the meal pattern. Food and drinks are included in the childcare fee, making meals part of the ordinary attendance arrangement.

The annual School Leaver Graduation marks the end of children's time at nursery. Alongside that celebration, preschool preparation centres on independence, hygiene, self-care and making choices. This gives moving on a practical emphasis as well as a farewell event.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Old Casino, 85-87 Wellington Street, Gravesend, DA12 1JQ. Opening hours are 7.30am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with bank holiday and Christmas closures.

Prices distinguish daily attendance from session attendance, with charges also varying by age and the days booked. An extra session can be added to an existing pattern when availability permits. Fees are reviewed annually, with at least eight weeks' notice before a change; an age-related rate change takes effect from the first day of the following month. Families should obtain a current written quotation for their chosen arrangement.

Getting There

On-site parking and secure buggy storage support families travelling by car or with a pushchair. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the online contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes Free for Two, universal funding for three- and four-year-olds, and extended funding. The entitlements are stretched across the year: Free for Two and universal funding are allocated as 12 hours weekly over 48 weeks, while extended funding is allocated as 23 hours weekly over 50 weeks.

Childcare fees include food, drinks and the activities offered to children. There is an application registration charge and a refundable deposit once the attendance arrangement has been confirmed. The fees and funding page explains the charging structure; a written quotation should bring the chosen days, funding and additional paid attendance together.

• Session fit. Daily and session attendance are priced separately within a long weekday opening window. At a weekday visit, booked by appointment, establish which session arrangement matches the hours your family needs.
• Learning at home. In November 2021, parents needed more help with their child's individual learning outside nursery. Ask how current Famly updates translate into practical activities or conversations at home.
• Room transitions. Moves from Purple Room to Green Room, then to Pre-School, involve parents and a new key person. Discuss how your child's naps, toileting and familiar routines will be carried into the next room.
• Funding and consumables. The stretched allocations use different weekly hours and week totals for universal and extended funding. Ask for one written breakdown showing your entitlement, paid attendance and responsibility for nappies, wipes and other non-food items.

Rainbow Tree suits families considering either daily attendance or session bookings who value separate age-based spaces, continuity through a key person and detailed digital communication. Purple Room's dedicated sleeping area is a concrete attraction for parents of babies; Green Room and Pre-School put growing independence into everyday practice.

The Good judgement belongs to November 2021, and its development priorities remain useful questions for a visit. The strongest reasons to consider this nursery are practical ones: spaces arranged around different needs, parent involvement in room changes, meals within the fee and a clear account of the stretched funding allocations.