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Dolly's Daycare At Squirrel Lodge

Ofsted: Good
(Jan 2024)
·
5.0(9 parent reviews)
·Furley Park Primary Academy, Reed Crescent, Ashford, TN23 3PA · Kent
Number of places
32 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jan 2024
Local authority
Kent

About this day nursery

Dolly's Day care, located in Ashford, Kent, is an established early years setting that has been nurturing children for over 15 years. The day care provides a warm and stimulating environment for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, emphasising a journey of discovery and growth.

Their approach is rooted in play-based learning, designed to foster curiosity, creativity, and development across cognitive, social, and emotional domains. The facility prioritises outdoor play, offering ample space for physical activity and sensory experiences.

Dolly's Day care maintains a strong reputation, proudly rated 'Good' by Ofsted, and is committed to providing a safe and secure setting. They focus on holistic development, supported by a dedicated team of staff who undergo thorough background checks and receive continuous training, including safeguarding.

The nursery also actively involves parents through conferences, volunteer opportunities, and family events, fostering a collaborative community for each child's well-being and progress.

Our ethos

Dolly's Day care's approach is rooted in play-based learning, designed to foster curiosity, creativity, and development across cognitive, social, and emotional domains. They focus on holistic development and prioritise outdoor play, offering ample space for physical activity and sensory experiences. The nursery is committed to providing a safe and secure setting while actively involving parents to foster a collaborative community for each child's well-being and progress.

What it's like

Children thrive in this welcoming, child-centred and caring nursery. The manager and staff are enthusiastic and dedicated to improving outcomes for all children. Staff greet children with genuine warmth and kindness and settle them straight into activities in the morning.

Ofsted Rated GoodPlay-Based LearningOutdoor Play FocusLong-Standing Community Presence

Pricing & funding

Fees for extra sessions booked outside of funded hours are billed monthly. Payments are due on the first of each month via bank transfer, with late payment penalties and service suspension applying for overdue balances.

Funding accepted

15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare
  • Late payment fee£35 / week
  • Returned payment fee£40

Good to know

  • Fees are due on the 1st of each month via bank transfer.
  • A late payment fee of £35 per week is applied to overdue invoices.
  • Childcare services may be suspended if payments are 5 days late.
  • Extra sessions may be discontinued if payment is 14 days overdue.
  • A £40 charge is applied for returned payments due to insufficient funds.

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm

Age range

Babies, toddlers and preschoolers

Term time / All Year

Term Time

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Dolly's Daycare At Squirrel Lodge

Last inspected 22 January 2024 · Nina Harvey

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

Children thrive in this welcoming, child-centred and caring nursery. The manager and staff are enthusiastic and dedicated to improving outcomes for all children. Staff greet children with genuine warmth and kindness and settle them straight into activities in the morning.

Inspector highlights

  • The manager and staff work hard to implement and embed an ambitious curriculum that supports children's development in all areas of learning.
  • Staff support children's language development well by adding interesting and meaningful new words into their play.
  • Children are highly motivated to join in with the learning experiences, showing good perseverance and concentration.
  • Staff successfully promote children's awareness of feelings and emotions, helping them to form meaningful friendships and begin to self-regulate.
  • The manager has created an open, honest and supportive culture for her staff, which creates a calm, loving and caring environment.

Areas to develop

  • 1The provider should increase opportunities to celebrate the cultural background of children who attend, to further enhance children's self-identity and awareness of similarities and differences.
  • 2The provider should enhance the already strong partnership with parents, so that all parents know their child's individual next steps and can support their learning at home.
Inspection #10311965 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is robust and determined. Staff work hard to ensure that children make progress in their learning and development effectively. Staff work in full cooperation with other agencies to ensure that all children, including those with SEND, get the support they need to be ready for their next stage in learning.

Outdoor space

The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning.

Parent Reviews of Dolly's Daycare At Squirrel Lodge

5.0
(9)
Kaweendya Jayasinghe
3 months ago

We are extremely grateful for the wonderful experience our daughter had at this nursery. Even though she had just relocated to the UK and this was her very first social and educational experience, the teachers supported her with exceptional care, patience, and kindness. They helped her settle in quickly, feel safe, and build confidence in a completely new environment. We noticed amazing progress in her language development, communication, and early learning skills. She learned to express herself better, follow routines, and became more independent every day. Most importantly, she made her first little friends, learned how to share, play, and cooperate with others something truly special for us as parents to see. The nursery provides a warm, nurturing, and stimulating preschool environment with creative activities, structured learning, and genuine attention to each child’s development. A big thank you to all the teachers and staff for giving our daughter such a positive and happy start to her early years journey. We truly appreciate your dedication and care. Kaweendya (Gauravi's Mum)

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Hamzeh Aledous
5 months ago

My daughter has only been at this nursery for two weeks, and I can already see a huge difference in how well she has settled compared to her previous nurseries. The staff are caring, welcoming and genuinely know what they are doing, especially during the early stages of a child joining. They have been patient, helpful and very supportive. The manager, Sandra, is extremely professional and understanding, and you can clearly see her leadership reflected in the team. My daughter’s key persons, Lisa and Emma, have been amazing with her. They give her the attention, encouragement and comfort she needs, and she has settled so much faster than I expected. I’m really happy with the level of care and the environment here. Highly recommended.

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Michelle N
9 months ago

Our son K attended this nursery for over a year, and we couldn't be happier with the experience he had. From day one, the staff were incredibly friendly, caring, and welcoming. The nursery is always full of fun, with a wonderful mix of creative, crafty play and engaging activities that kept K excited to go every day. We’re so grateful to the team for creating such a nurturing, stimulating environment where children can thrive, explore, and just be themselves. Thank you for giving our son such a happy start.

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meera bhandari
9 months ago

My daughter started attending this nursery when she was just 2 years old, and it has been the best place for her. The staff are incredibly caring, patient, and hardworking. They truly go above and beyond to create a safe, nurturing, and fun environment for the children. A very good and dedicated team — I highly recommend this nursery to any parent looking for a supportive and loving place for their child to grow and learn.

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Lucy
11 months ago

I am so happy that my daughter attends this nursery. They are great team of friendly, kind and supportive staff. There is always activities going on, there is lots for the children to do and plenty of outdoor space. They even take the children on woodland walks which my daughter loves. They do fun learning games, singing and water play. Continuously working hard to ensure the children are happy. They send out notifications so you can see activities your children have been involved in too. Overall the best nursery I’ve used. Extremely highly recommended. The main thing is I know my daughter is completely happy and safe when attending :)

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Reviews from Google for Dolly's Daycare At Squirrel Lodge. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: October 2017

  • January 2024Good
  • April 2018Good
  • October 2017Inadequate

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