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Windmill Nursery School

Ofsted: Good
(Jan 2025)
·
4.4(30 parent reviews) ·22-23 Overcliffe, GRAVESEND, DA11 0EH · Kent
Number of places
82 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jan 2025
Local authority
Kent

About this day nursery

Windmill Nursery School in Gravesend is a welcoming environment dedicated to fostering curiosity and creativity in children aged 6 weeks to 5 years. The nursery prides itself on a stimulating learning environment where children develop a love for learning at their own pace.

The experienced team focuses on meeting each child's individual needs, ensuring they feel secure and inspired. Both indoor and outdoor spaces are utilised for imaginative play and adventure, featuring creative play and sensory rooms, alongside a large garden.

The nursery adopts a "home from home" philosophy, incorporating natural resources to engage children and ignite their wonder. Outdoor learning is a key aspect, with many planned activities tailored to the garden space.

Windmill Nursery also embraces the diverse community it serves by celebrating various cultural festivals with children and families. The staff works closely with parents, providing daily updates on activities, routines, and meals through a parent app called Famly, as well as more detailed discussions during parents' evenings.

They ensure a smooth transition for new children through settling-in sessions and assign each child a key person to support their journey through the nursery and prepare them for school.

Our ethos

Windmill Nursery School's philosophy centres on creating a "home from home" environment that fosters curiosity, creativity, and a love for learning. They emphasise meeting individual needs through child-led exploration in both indoor and outdoor stimulated spaces, incorporating natural resources and outdoor learning. The nursery also values community, celebrating cultural diversity and maintaining strong partnerships with parents.

What it's like

Leaders and staff create a warm, friendly, home-from-home environment for children and their families, ensuring tailored settling-in sessions and continued support as children progress. They prioritise children's well-being, fostering a sense of belonging, safety, and security. The curriculum is focused on building confidence and curiosity, with opportunities for physical development and exploration, both indoors and outdoors.

Home from home environmentOutdoor learningGlobal celebrationsCreative play and sensory rooms

Pricing & funding

Fees are invoiced monthly on an equalised basis and include meals, snacks, milk, infant formula, hygiene consumables (nappies, wipes, sun cream), and extracurricular activities. Sibling and full-time discounts are available. Fees remain payable during sickness and bank holidays, with closures limited to Christmas week.

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare15 hours — working parents (9 months–2 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds

Good to know

  • Non-refundable registration fee of £50 and a £150 deposit (credited to first invoice) are required.
  • Fees are billed monthly on an equalised basis to ensure consistent payments throughout the year.
  • Fees include all meals, snacks, milk, formula, nappies, wipes, sun cream, and extracurriculars.
  • No refunds or fee reductions are given for sickness, bank holidays, or inset days.
  • Nursery closes during Christmas week and for two training days per year.
  • Payments by bank transfer incur a £5 administration fee.

Key facts

Opening hours

Full days: 7:30 am - 6:30 pm, Mornings: 7:30 am - 1 pm, Afternoons: 1 pm - 6:30 pm

Food

infant formula, milk, home-cooked meals and snacks included

Age range

6 weeks to 5 years

Term time / All Year

All Year

Session types

Full Days, Mornings, Afternoons

Established

2022

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Windmill Nursery School

Last inspected 16 January 2025

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

Leaders and staff create a warm, friendly, home-from-home environment for children and their families, ensuring tailored settling-in sessions and continued support as children progress. They prioritise children's well-being, fostering a sense of belonging, safety, and security. The curriculum is focused on building confidence and curiosity, with opportunities for physical development and exploration, both indoors and outdoors.

Inspector highlights

  • Staff are highly knowledgeable about their key children, their developmental levels and next steps in learning.
  • Leaders have established secure procedures to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language.
  • Communication and language development is a high priority throughout the nursery, with staff effectively using commentary to enrich children's vocabulary.
  • Leaders are devoted to their role, emphasising staff well-being and offering training to develop their practice.
  • Mathematical exploration is evident throughout the nursery, with a strong focus on counting, shapes, and introducing mathematical language.

Areas to develop

  • 1support less confident staff to help embed teaching securely and consistently across the nursery
  • 2review and improve the indoor learning environments to strengthen the opportunities older children have to engage in a breadth of experiences that cover all areas of learning.
Inspection #10363685 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

Parents are extremely complimentary about the caring support they receive from the dedicated staff team.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Leaders have established secure procedures to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff use sign language and provide dual-language books to enhance children's communication skills. They liaise closely with other professionals and put in place targeted support for children who need additional assistance, ensuring all children make the progress they are capable of achieving.

Outdoor space

Outside, staff provide children with a wide range of experiences to explore and exercise. Older children learn how to move their bodies and develop positional awareness, for example, by balancing on beams and joining in running games with their peers as they build muscle strength.

Parent Reviews of Windmill Nursery School

4.4
(30)
Natasha G
a year ago

My little one has been attending the nursery since August 2022 and I can honestly say that I will be very sad when he will leave here to go to school next year as he absolutely loves it! As parents we couldn’t be happier - the staff are brilliant and really go above and beyond to make sure kids are happy and thriving. My little one requires extra support and not only does he get that and beyond, but I can genuinly tell the staff care for him and his needs and it’s lovely to see :-) he get’s so excited going to nursery and has formed such a close bond with all of the staff that have looked after him in the different rooms. The facilities are clean and filled with a nice range of toys/activities, and of course their outdoor space is fantastic! What we also appreciate is how informed we are of our little one’s progress and how well they support each child’s individual needs/progression. My little one is also a fussy eater but he comes home happy and full every time! A lovely nursery and couldn’t recommend more!

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Jessica Crow
a year ago

This nursery is fantastic. Both our girls go here and they have flourished. All of the staff are a lovely and they communicate brilliantly with us as parents. Their involvement and care with/for the children is a credit to them.

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emma bell
6 years ago

Really excellent nursery! Family ran and ran very well! Good values and staff. My child was very happy here from 9 months old - 4 years. Only just left as going to school! We will really miss each and every member of staff and nursery life! All the rooms and garden are immaculate and children are all kept very entertained with the various activities! Very high standards and felt very comfortable leaving my little one here x

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chloe g
a year ago

Amazing experience for my daughter and us. She's loved attending this nursery. Very caring and very attentive, the nursery teacher are amazing. She attended 2 days and loved it every month and loved it.

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Adam Bird
8 years ago

We have had three children stay at Smart Start Day nursery from birth through to starting school at five years old. The staff are lovely, friendly and all three have absolutely loved their stay. The nursery is very well equipped, very well run and has a real family feel to the place despite its size. The garden is immaculately looked after and the team work over the weekends making sure that the building is maintained and in good condition.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Windmill Nursery School. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: January 2025

  • February 2025Good
  • January 2025Good

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