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The Rainbow Tree Day Nursery

Ofsted: Good
(Nov 2021)
·
4.6(11 parent reviews) ·The Old Casino, 85-87 Wellington Street, GRAVESEND, DA12 1JQ · Kent
Number of places
70 places
Age range
1–4 yrs
Last inspected
Nov 2021
Local authority
Kent

About this day nursery

The Rainbow Tree Day Nursery in Gravesend, established in 2016 by owner Marie, offers high-quality care and education for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. Marie, who began her career as an apprentice and has over three decades of experience, is deeply passionate about creating a nurturing environment where children, parents, and staff all feel a strong sense of belonging.

The nursery, which holds a "Good" Ofsted rating, prides itself on its stimulating learning environment, featuring both indoor and two outdoor garden areas designed for play and immersive learning. They provide fresh, homemade meals cooked on-site daily and offer convenient on-site parking and secure buggy storage for parents.

The Rainbow Tree Day Nursery also offers competitive fee rates and accepts government funding. Parents are welcome to arrange weekday visits by appointment to experience the nursery firsthand.

What it's like

Children are happy and settled and form close and trusting relationships with staff; a well-established key-person system helps new children settle quickly and supports their emotional well-being. Children develop independence, learn to keep themselves safe, and have good opportunities to play outdoors and develop physical skills.

Ofsted rated "Good"Homemade mealsTwo outdoor play areasOn-site parkingGovernment funding accepted

Pricing & funding

Fees are calculated monthly over 50 weeks of the year, categorised by age groups 0-2, 2-3, and 3-4 years. Charges are structured by daily or session attendance patterns, with adjusted rates depending on whether Mondays or Fridays are included. Fees are fully inclusive of all activities, meals, and drinks.

Funding accepted

15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare
  • 0-2 year old hourly rate£7.90 / hour
  • 0-2 year old 5 days/week (incl. Mon & Fri)£1892.70 / month
  • 0-2 year old 4 days/week (incl. Mon & Fri)£1506.60 / month
  • 0-2 year old 3 days/week (incl. Mon & Fri)£1120.48 / month
  • 0-2 year old 2 days/week (incl. Mon & Fri)£734.37 / month

Good to know

  • A registration fee of £20 and a refundable deposit of £50 apply when confirming a space.
  • No charges apply for bank holidays and the Christmas week closure.
  • Offers a 10% sibling discount applied to the eldest child's fees.
  • All meals, drinks, and nursery activities are included in the fees.
  • Fees are subject to annual review with a minimum of 8 weeks' advance notice.
  • Government funding is stretched over 48 weeks (12 hours/week) or 50 weeks (23 hours/week).

Key facts

Food

Fresh homemade meals cooked on site daily. Fees include all food and drinks.

Opening hours

Mon-Fri: 7.30am - 7pm

Age range

0-4 years

Term time / All Year

All Year

Established

2015

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for The Rainbow Tree Day Nursery

Last inspected 17 November 2021 · Janet Thouless

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 are happy and settled and form close and trusting relationships with staff; a well-established key-person system helps new children settle quickly and supports their emotional well-being. Children develop independence, learn to keep themselves safe, and have good opportunities to play outdoors and develop physical skills.

Inspector highlights

  • Children form close and trusting relationships with staff
  • Well-established and effective key-person system supports settling and emotional well-being
  • Staff plan an exciting curriculum that builds on children's learning step-by-step with clear learning intentions
  • Staff effectively support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and work well with external agencies
  • Children have good opportunities for outdoor play and to develop small- and large-muscle skills

Areas to develop

  • 1strengthen the programme for professional development that staff receive, so that the nursery's vision for children's learning is well understood by the team
  • 2provide parents with further information about how they can guide their children's learning at home.
Inspection #10210673 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff who support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have a clear understanding of their role. They use their knowledge to great effect and work well with external agencies to support each child, ensuring that each child has the appropriate support and that gaps in learning close as quickly as possible.

Outdoor space

Children have good opportunities to play outside in the developing outdoor areas; babies explore musical toys on a cosy veranda and young children draw with chalk. Older children enjoy new climbing equipment which supports small- and large-muscle skills, and managers have purchased equipment to support children's physical development in the outdoor learning environments.

Parent Reviews of The Rainbow Tree Day Nursery

4.6
(11)
Enno Tari
7 months ago

If you’re looking for a nursery that’s more affordable than others in the area but still provides great quality, this is it. We really appreciate that the relationship with the teachers and staff doesn’t feel transactional. They also provide monthly feedback sessions to discuss the children’s development with parents. Before we joined, they even came to our home to observe our child in their natural environment which we found really valuable and showed that they truly care. None of the staff ever asked us to leave a Google review, and everyone has always treated us with respect..I’ve never experienced any discrimination, even as someone from an Asian country…

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Glow Creator
9 months ago

My daughter joined Rainbow Tree Nursery when she was 2, and it has been such a positive experience for her. She was shy at first, but the staff in the Green Room made a big effort to help her settle. Her vocabulary has grown so much, and she’s become more confident talking more, dancing, and expressing herself. The Green Room is especially wonderful for children under 3. The staff are truly lovely: Tasha, Teona, Taylor, Violette, Victoria, and Ellie have all been amazing. My daughter always talks about them at home with such excitement. The only downside is that the building itself is quite old, but they have already started renovating some of the rooms. Hopefully, it will feel even fresher and better in the future. Overall, it’s a really caring and supportive nursery that has made such a positive impact on my little one.

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Mev Fergie
4 years ago

My daughter attended this nursery for 3 years, from the age of 1 - 4, and her experience has been wonderful! For the first few months she would cry in the mornings. However, with time and the support of the kind and dedicated staffs, she blossomed into a very bright, positive, and confident child. She has learnt so much during her time at this nursery and established meaningful relationships. She even still remembers Taylor, her key worker. Ten thumbs up for this nursery.

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leviathan 1407
3 years ago

I had used anther nursery for a number of years before moving here and the standard of care, professionalism and communication is unparalleled. I am incredibly happy I moved my childcare to The Rainbow Tree, you can tell they love what they do and the kids are well fed, stimulated and happy. I highly recommend them to anyone (and to avoid the bigger nursury chains, bigger definatly does not mean better!)

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Josie Fromm
6 years ago

I'm so pleased with this nursery and the staff that run it. My little girl absolutely loves it here I've not met one staff member who is not caring and supportive, she has learnt so much here and with great support from staff she has confidence and is really outgoing now thank you so much to everyone

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for The Rainbow Tree Day Nursery. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: June 2016

  • November 2021Good
  • May 2017Good
  • June 2016Good

Frequently asked about The Rainbow Tree Day Nursery

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