Play A Way Day Nursery

A bright Baby room, a dedicated sleeping area and outdoor play for every age give Play A Way Day Nursery a clear starting point for families with very young children. At 37 Stuart Road in Gillingham, the nursery takes children from three months to five years and has 42 places in total. Babies have their own space; older children are grouped according to their development as well as their age.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and recognised effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The practical strengths included familiar adults, learning through hands-on exploration and equipment chosen to support children's physical development. That judgement is dated, rather than a description of every aspect of care today.

Year-round nursery care sits alongside breakfast and after-school provision for school-aged children. For parents comparing arrangements for siblings, that combination deserves attention.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby room accommodates children aged three to 23 months in a large, bright space with a dedicated sleeping area and exploratory play guided by their key person. Keeping rest within the baby provision gives sleep a defined place in the day, rather than treating it as an interruption to activities.

From two to five years, toddlers and preschool children are grouped by age and development. The toddler room emphasises language, toilet training and increasing independence. These are practical skills with consequences beyond nursery: communicating a need, managing a familiar routine and attempting a task for oneself.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, including learning through play. Here, a child's key person chooses activities with their age and developmental stage in mind. The Online Learning Journal records development for parents to follow, giving families a way to see what their child is working on.

In June 2023, activities were planned around children's next learning steps and areas needing further attention. Outdoors, pouring and filling at a water tray prompted conversations about quantities and measurement. Books and rhymes also moved outside, with a book den providing a place to share stories. The useful connection was between play and language: children had something concrete to discuss, rather than only being asked to answer an adult's question.

In the same month, children examined insects using magnifying glasses and compared a grasshopper with other insects. Adults left time for children to think before responding. Making fruit kebabs offered another kind of learning, combining food preparation with safe handling and familiar routines.

Outdoor and Community Life

All children have access to the secure outdoor play area. For babies as well as older children, outdoor time is part of the setting's offer, rather than a space reserved for one age group.

In June 2023, a wooden bridge and beams were used to develop balance, coordination and strength. The nursery also worked with local schools and colleges on placements and work experience. These community connections concerned nursery practice and staff experience; they did not confer a school admissions advantage.

Relationships and Communication

Two free settling days are offered for babies, with staff working with parents to follow the baby's routine. A key person introduces exploratory activities. For a family starting childcare, the useful combination is time to become familiar with an adult and attention to the routines the baby already knows.

The Online Learning Journal gives parents access to developmental updates. It complements the key person's role in choosing activities, connecting what happens during the nursery day with what families can follow at home.

In June 2023, babies settled with their key person, and adults responded patiently when children needed extra help. However, opportunities for every parent to participate in their child's learning needed further development. Receiving an update and contributing to the learning plan are different things; the latter remains a useful subject for a visit.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In June 2023, additional funding was used to buy the wooden bridge and beams for children needing support with physical development. Advice from the local authority also informed SEND provision. These examples make the inspection's positive judgement more concrete: support involved equipment and outside advice, rather than reassurance alone.

Sleep checks were recorded in June 2023, including for babies. The current Baby room has its dedicated sleeping area, while the settling arrangement takes account of the baby's routine. Together, these details put rest alongside play as an important part of choosing baby care.

Independence was less consistent for older children in June 2023. Adults sometimes took over tasks such as opening lunches or serving food that children could attempt themselves. Younger children were being taught to use spoons, so the improvement needed was consistency across ages, rather than simply adding more activities.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 7am to 6pm, at 37 Stuart Road, Gillingham, Kent ME7 4AD. It operates across the year, closing over Christmas and on bank holidays. That calendar matters for families whose working year continues beyond school terms.

For school-aged children, the Breakfast club runs on weekdays from 7.30am to 8.30am and includes breakfast before school transport. The After-School Club runs from 3.30pm to 6pm, combining collection with activities and a hot meal. School drop-off and collection cover Byron Primary School; this is a transport service, rather than a nursery-to-school admissions pathway.

Holiday club provision is also offered for school-aged children during school holidays. It adds another attendance pattern for families arranging care for an older sibling.

Enquiries and tour bookings can be made directly with the nursery on 01634 475151.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for children aged three to five, and for two-year-olds, subject to availability. Major childcare vouchers are accepted. Families considering funded attendance should distinguish the funded place from any additional care they intend to book; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

The school-aged Breakfast club includes a meal, and children attending the After-School Club are provided with a hot meal. These food arrangements belong to those clubs and should not be treated as the nursery-day charging structure.

• Older children's independence. In June 2023, adults sometimes completed manageable food-related tasks for older children. On a visit, ask how children now practise serving, pouring and opening things themselves.
• Participation and group activities. June 2023 improvement points covered parental involvement in learning and clearer staff responsibilities during large-group activities. Ask how parents contribute to learning plans and how adults keep older children involved in group sessions.
• Funded attendance and extras. Funding covers the age groups described above. Request a written breakdown for your intended attendance, including the treatment of meals and non-food consumables, before comparing the total cost.

Play A Way suits families seeking year-round nursery care for a baby or preschool child, as well as those using the Breakfast club or After-School Club for a school-aged sibling. The Baby room's sleeping area and two free settling days give its youngest provision useful practical definition. Byron Primary School transport makes the older-child offer relevant to a specific group of families.

The June 2023 Good judgement supports a positive assessment, with concrete examples of thoughtful learning and SEND provision. Its improvement points also deserve attention: parental participation, group activities and older children's independence are the questions that will make a visit more informative.