Ickle Pickles Nursery School

Family meals in a shared central space, village connections and hands-on exploration give Ickle Pickles Nursery School its character. This Iwade setting has capacity for 61 children, with an age range from two months to five years. Its Kingsferry Collaboration membership brings opportunities for staff to exchange ideas and tackle problems with others, while support for Demelza connects nursery families with a children's charity.

At its October 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and described staff helping children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to build relationships with other children. There were also improvements to make: quieter conditions for communication and more consistent guidance during routines. Those points matter alongside the positive judgement.

Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings give families different ways to arrange attendance. The practical detail is unusually useful: funding is stretched across the year, and the distinction between inclusive private fees and additional charges on funded sessions is explicit.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. For parents, that means a day in which play, communication, movement and relationships support learning alongside care routines. It is the common foundation for nursery education, rather than an extra programme unique to Ickle Pickles.

In October 2024, babies explored scent and texture using lemons, herbs, dry leaves and carpet tiles. These were everyday materials with different sensory qualities, giving the youngest children concrete things to investigate. These experiences let babies explore real materials through play.

Older children contributed ideas when staff reconsidered topics and changed resources in October 2024. That gave children a part in shaping what they explored next. Sign language also helped children across the age groups express what they needed, adding another route into communication alongside conversation.

Cookery offers a current, practical example of hands-on learning. Children investigate ingredients and practise skills through preparing food, with opportunities to learn about growing ingredients too. The activity links something children do with something they eat. Yoga is also part of the activity offer, alongside community trips and seasonal events.

Outdoor and Community Life

A dedicated outdoor area gives children time to engage with nature. In October 2024, toddlers used ride-on toys and practised balance and running outdoors; physical challenges encouraged children to try manageable risks. For a parent weighing the nursery day, this adds movement and exploration to the indoor experiences.

Community connections have two different purposes here. Kingsferry Collaboration is a network for sharing knowledge and solving problems, while Demelza supports children with serious or life-limiting conditions and their families. Fundraising plans include dress-up days, sponsored challenges and bake sales across the year. These give families ways to participate in nursery life around a shared cause, rather than leaving community involvement as a general aspiration.

Relationships begin with learning about the individual child. In October 2024, staff gathered information when children started and arranged settling sessions to help them become familiar with nursery. They also supported moves to the next stage of education. For families, settling was treated as a transition that needed preparation.

Emotional support was practical in October 2024: staff gave young children time to regain calm and helped them understand how their behaviour affected others. Sharing and taking turns were part of daily interactions. However, guidance during changes between activities was not consistently clear, leaving some children uncertain about expectations. A warm relationship and an understandable routine both matter.

Current inclusion arrangements include the nursery's own Special Education Needs co-ordinator, working with families and staff to identify where additional support is needed. The parent forum committee provides another channel for families, helping maintain continuity of care and share news of events and achievements. It gives parent involvement a defined structure.

Food is prepared by an onsite chef, with local ingredients used where possible and menus accommodating dietary requirements. Children share meals in a central dining space, and menus linked to cultural celebration days introduce different tastes as well as subjects to explore.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 1 School Mews, School Lane, Iwade, Sittingbourne, ME9 8UW. Full Days run from 7.15am to 6pm, Mornings from 8am to 1pm and Afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. These are different booking patterns, so parents can compare a complete nursery day with either shorter session.

Care runs year-round, with Christmas week and two annual team training days identified as closures. Fees also take planned closure days, including bank holidays, into account. Monthly invoices are designed to keep the regular charge consistent across the year, which helps families plan their childcare budget.

Enquiries can be made through the nursery's form, by telephone on 01795 474551 or by email at icklepickles@storal.com. A non-refundable registration charge reserves a place, and a deposit is credited against the first invoice. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Fees remain payable when a child misses nursery through illness or other absence.

Funding and Paid Extras

The 15 Hours and 30 Hours funding offers are provided for eligible children aged nine months and above. Entitlement depends on eligibility; the nursery's age threshold does not mean every child receives the same funding.

Funding is stretched over 51 weeks. The 15 Hours offer becomes up to 11.18 funded hours each week, while the 30 Hours offer becomes up to 22.35. Funded hours can be used within the regular session patterns, with a maximum of 10 funded hours in a day. Extra time in a session is charged separately.

Private fees include meals and snacks, milk and infant formula, plus nappies, wipes, nappy cream and sun cream. On funded sessions, food and health and hygiene consumables carry separate charges; activity charges apply to children over two, with no activity charge for under-twos. Families considering alternatives to the integrated package can discuss those options with the manager. The distinction is central to understanding the bill: funded childcare hours and the complete session cost are different things.

• Sound and routines. In October 2024, staff sometimes managed noise ineffectively, potentially affecting communication and language development, and instructions during transitions needed greater consistency. During a visit, ask how staff now keep adult-led activities audible and explain changes in the day.
• Funding across the year. Entitlements are stretched over 51 weeks, and funded sessions attract separate food and consumables charges. Compare the written quotation for your chosen full-day or shorter-session pattern, including any extra hours and alternatives to the integrated package.
• Settling and individual support. Settling sessions and a nursery-based Special Education Needs co-ordinator provide concrete starting points. Discuss how your child's introduction and any additional support would be organised before agreeing a start.

Ickle Pickles suits families seeking either full-day attendance or morning and afternoon sessions, with year-round care and a clear structure for using funded hours. Shared meals, cookery and community fundraising give its offer substance; the parent forum and nursery-based inclusion role also give families defined ways to participate.

The October 2024 Good judgement supports consideration, while the concerns about noise and routine instructions deserve a direct conversation during a visit. This is a nursery to assess through both its practical booking choices and the everyday clarity of communication with children.