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Christ Church Pre-School

Christ Church Pre-School is a pre-school in Gravesend for children aged 2 to 4, with 30 registered places. Ofsted report card, 27 November 2025: Strong standard in 5 areas, Expected standard in 1 area; safeguarding standards met.

Christ Church, Old Road East, Gravesend, DA12 1NR

Key facts

Type
Pre-school (Sessional day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Ages
2 to 4 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered places
30 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered
13 September 1975 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)

Opening hours

Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:15 - 12:15

Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 27 November 2025

Who runs it

Christ Church Pre-School is run by Christ Church Pre-School Committee (Ofsted register).

Latest inspection

  • Inclusion: Strong standard
  • Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard
  • Achievement: Strong standard
  • Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard
  • Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard
  • Leadership and governance: Expected standard
  • Safeguarding standards met

Source: Ofsted, inspection on 27 November 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children thrive in the care of passionate and experienced staff. They receive a warm greeting on arrival and separate with ease from their families. Staff take time to speak to parents and carers to find out how children are. This means that they can respond and support them throughout the session. Children start each day with a group welcome. This helps children to feel a strong sense of belonging and settle into the morning routine. Children show high levels of confidence as they choose what they would like to do. They are curious and enthusiastic as they take the lead in their learning. Leaders and staff value the voice of each child, which helps children develop positive relationships.

Promoting teamwork and collaboration is a strength of the curriculum. Children work together and remain focused for long periods of time. For example, they work as a team to build a tunnel to roll a ball down. They use their critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they test out their theories. Staff are on hand to support children and give them lots of praise for their successes. Children are proud of their achievements as they celebrate with their friends.

Leaders are passionate about the outdoor experience that they provide children. They understand the need for children to explore nature and be physically active. Children take walks in the local community and attend forest school sessions. In the forest, children climb trees and make fires to enjoy hot chocolate after a morning of fun and exploration. Staff support children to learn about their capabilities and when to ask for help when they need. This helps children to keep safe. Leaders make sure that children are self-assured, confident and curious learners.

What Ofsted found in each area

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders make sure that building relationships with children and their families is a priority. This ensures that all staff have secure understanding of children's individual needs. They strive to work in collaboration to fully include all children. For example, leaders work with external professionals to access training and remove barriers for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and enhance the provision. This means that all children can access the exciting curriculum on offer. Leaders use additional funding to make considerable enhancements to the outdoor environment. This has made a sustained difference for all children, especially for those who do not have access to outdoor learning experiences.

Leaders' priorities for inclusive practice makes a difference to the opportunities of children with SEND. Parents' feedback is extremely positive. They explain the considerable impact that staff make to their children's experiences. For example, staff create communication booklets so that children with a language delay can communicate their needs and make their own choices. This enables all children to make positive progress against their next steps and thrive in the setting.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Children immerse themselves in the ambitious and inviting curriculum on offer. There is a strong focus on providing children with outdoor learning experiences to develop an awe and wonder for the natural world. Staff know what each child needs to learn and use their expert teaching skills to weave the curriculum into children's play. For example, as children play hopscotch, staff support them to explore numbers. Children who can count with confidence are encouraged to recall numbers backwards and then match objects to the numerals. Older children show younger children how to write numbers. These high-quality interactions mean children excel in their learning and development.

Staff think carefully how to organise the environment so that children's learning is purposeful. They promote children to make their own choices, build their vocabulary and expand their language skills. Children show high levels of involvement in their learning and are proud of their achievements. Staff acknowledge these with lots of praise, which boosts children's self-esteem and motivation. Staff are sensitive when to involve themselves in children's play to extend their learning and when children need time to explore independently. This creates opportunities for sustained play as children develop their problem-solving and social skills.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children benefit from a well-sequenced curriculum that helps them to develop positive attitudes. Children are confident communicators, take the lead in their play and show a love of learning. For example, children use their interests and skills to construct with different materials. They talk about size, shape and colour as they play together. All children make progress and extend their learning.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the individual support that they need so that they can join in fully with their peers. Children have excellent attitudes to learning and are well prepared to start school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children's behaviour is excellent. Staff are positive role models who are consistent in their approach to helping children to regulate their emotions. They teach children strategies to manage minor squabbles and solve problems for themselves. For example, staff encourage children to share toys and talk about how it feels. Children demonstrate kind behaviour as they tell their friends that they have finished playing so that they can have a turn. Staff create respectful relationships with children, which enables the best possible behaviour.

Children know what is expected of them because the routines are well embedded into the setting. Leaders ensure that children arrive on time so that they can start their day together with 'welcome time'. Children know when it is group sessions, time to play and when to help tidy up. This occurs naturally and seamlessly. These clear expectations help children to feel safe and secure. Children look forward to group time where they sing and dance together. This reinforces the strong sense of belonging that children feel and respect that they have for each other. Harmonious routines support children to develop positive attitudes to their learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing through well-structured routines. They develop excellent relationships with children and families so that they have a deep understanding of each child's individual needs. Staff are very observant, which means that they are highly responsive and offer instant support to children. For example, when children are worried, they spend time with their key persons sharing stories and talking about how they feel. The key-person system is well embedded, and this means that attachments are very effective and children feel safe and secure.

Staff share information daily with parents and carers so that they are well informed and well supported. Parents speak very positively about the support that they receive, especially for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff teach children about their health and wellbeing. For example, children wash their hands independently before snack time and talk about washing away germs so that they do not get sick. Staff motivate children to develop a solid foundation for self-care as they serve their own snack, pour their own drinks and then clear away their plates. Children develop key life skills and make their own healthy choices.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are highly reflective. They initiate change to make a difference to the education that children receive, especially those who are disadvantaged. Leaders have open conversations with staff through supervision sessions and staff meetings. Together, they identify areas for improvement. For example, staff highlight that they would like to know more about how to meet the specific needs of younger children. Leaders are quick to respond and organise bespoke professional development as a team. This ensures that there is a consistent approach with a focus on the best interests of children.

Leaders work as part of a local collaboration to share good practice in their community. They have an oversight of local issues and support from a large range of other professionals. For example, staff engage with specialists to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, they have not yet established effective partnership working with other settings that children attend. This means that there is no consistency when sharing information about children's care and learning. Staff feedback that they are very happy in the roles and their wellbeing is a priority. This helps to create a community in which children are happy and thrive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

  • Leaders should develop effective partnership working with other settings that children attend to help provide continuity in children's learning and development.

Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 27 November 2025. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Inspection history

  • 27 November 2025: Full inspection, report card: Strong standard in 5, Expected standard in 1
  • 10 March 2020: Full inspection, Good (report)
  • 14 March 2016: Full inspection, Outstanding (report)
  • 21 January 2011: Full inspection, Outstanding (report)
  • 29 November 2006: Inspection (report)
  • 2 February 2005: Inspection (report)
  • 16 February 2004: Inspection (report)

Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)

Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.

The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.

Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.

Source: Ofsted reports

Funded childcare hours in England

All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.

Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.

Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.

The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.

Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)

Other nurseries nearby

  • Play Pavilion Pre School - Day nursery, Gravesend DA12 2TL, ages 2 to 4, 32 places, 0.4 miles
    Ofsted report card, 22 July 2026: Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • The Rainbow Tree Day Nursery - Day nursery, Gravesend DA12 1JQ, ages 1 to 4, 70 places, 0.4 miles
    Ofsted, 17 November 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • St Aidans Nursery - Pre-school, Gravesend DA12 4JL, ages 2 to 4, 35 places, 0.5 miles
    Ofsted, 5 February 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Kids Inc Day Nursery - Day nursery, Gravesend DA12 2HU, ages 0 to 4, 92 places, 0.6 miles
    Ofsted, 15 February 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Little Explorers Kindergarten Riverside - Pre-school, Gravesend DA12 2JY, ages 2 to 4, 40 places, 0.7 miles
    Ofsted, 5 March 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective

Schools nearby

Christ Church Pre-School on the Ofsted website