Sprites Woodland Nursery Ltd
Sprites Woodland Nursery Ltd is a day nursery in Chatham for children aged 2 to 4, with 20 registered places. Ofsted report card, 3 December 2025: Strong standard in 1 area, Expected standard in 5 areas; safeguarding standards met.
The Scout Hut, Capstone Road, Chatham, ME5 7NH
Key facts
- Type
- Day nursery (Full day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Ages
- 2 to 4 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered places
- 20 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered
- 16 May 2014 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Opening hours
Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:30 - 03:00
Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 3 December 2025
Who runs it
Sprites Woodland Nursery Ltd is run by Sprites Woodland Nursery Limited (Ofsted register).
Latest inspection
- Inclusion: Strong standard
- Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
- Achievement: Expected standard
- Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
- Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
- Leadership and governance: Expected standard
- Safeguarding standards met
Source: Ofsted, inspection on 3 December 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 arrive happy and excitedly enter this welcoming, well-run setting, showing a sense of belonging and that they feel safe and secure. They thrive in the well-organised environment created by staff. Children enjoy pretending to cook together and build dinosaur houses from bricks. This helps children to develop their social skills. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is strong. Staff ensure they adapt their practice so all children can achieve in their learning. Staff plan activities that support next steps in children's learning. For example, staff plan nature walks, where children use their senses to explore what they find. They learn what is safe to touch and what is dangerous. Staff follow children's interests, such as when they find a 'fairy house'. Children share their ideas and work together to create a story about the fairy. Staff then revisit this experience when children are back in the setting. This helps to develop children's love of learning. Staff actively listen to all children's views. They value their contribution to the story as they effectively pose questions to extend the story. This helps children feel valued and enjoy and achieve in their learning.
What Ofsted found in each area
Inclusion: Strong standard
Staff are well trained and highly skilled at identifying and supporting children who may need extra help to achieve in their learning. They adapt their practice, using the graduated approach, to ensure all children can be included. For example, they differentiate activities so all children can take part. Staff work closely with parents and outside agencies to gain extra funding and support to reduce barriers so children can make the best possible progress in their learning. For example, staff use extra funding to purchase resources that support children's next steps in learning. Staff facilitate workshops for parents to support children at home with topics such as behaviour and healthy eating. The manager understands the pressures on families at the beginning of the day. She offers a free breakfast club for all families to ease the pressure and ensure all children are well nourished with a healthy breakfast to start the day.
Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
Leaders plan a curriculum that is designed so all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can achieve their maximum potential. They regularly monitor the curriculum to ensure their teaching is having an impact on what children learn. Staff consider what children are interested in and plan activities taking this into account. For example, children have an interest in 'elf on the shelf'. Staff provide a range of resources for children to explore and use the activity to support communication and language. Staff skilfully teach mathematics and adapt their approach so all children can learn in a fun way. For instance, they use physical activities to introduce distance, such as using their bodies to measure the space between trees. These experiences give children a good base knowledge of mathematics. However, some areas are not as well planned for, such as group times. Although children with SEND are supported well, staff do not recognise when other children have lost interest, which does not fully support children to develop their listening and concentration skills. This impacts on their focus and engagement.
Achievement: Expected standard
On the whole, children generally make positive progress in their learning. Staff find out what children know and can do when they start. They use this to develop an effective curriculum. Regular assessments allow staff to monitor children's achievements and adapt the environment to meet the needs of all children, especially those who need more support to achieve, such as children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children are developing good language skills for their age and ability. Staff generally support and extend children's vocabulary. They introduce and use new words, and children then use the new words they have learned in their play, such as 'broccoli'. Staff react to non-verbal cues from children and follow their lead, such as when they pull staff towards what they want. This helps all children to communicate their needs. On the whole, children are prepared for their next stage in learning, such as school. However, staff do not plan as well for children to develop their social skills, such as during group times, which are not always planned to ensure all children have the opportunity to join in, meaning children quickly lose interest. This, at times, affects their engagement and focus.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
Children know the routines well. They have developed positive relationships and strong bonds with staff. Children are cuddled and comforted regularly by staff, who show genuine interest in them and praise and encourage children to develop independence. For example, children put on their own shoes and choose what they want to play with. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Where needed, staff remind children to manage their behaviour in a calm and patient manner while playing. This supports children's understanding of how to manage their own feelings and to develop friendships with other children. Staff monitor children's attendance and punctuality effectively. They understand the importance of regular attendance and the impact this has on children's learning. However, at times of transitions, such as to snack time, children are kept in a group for a long time, which affects their behaviour. Some children become upset, and although staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well, it impacts on other children's learning.
Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
Staff prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing. They work with parents from the start to settle children in and meet their needs. Children form good relationships with each other. They seek out their friends to play and share their ideas while playing, such as when cooking in the home corner. Staff place a high priority on children's health. They embed good hygiene routines, such as washing hands before eating. Children are offered healthy snacks, such as fruit, and they go outside daily in the fresh air. This helps children to develop healthy lifestyles. Staff work with parents to provide support for children who may need support with food and intolerances to ensure they are fully included. Staff have effective procedures in place to support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to manage their emotions. They read books and use photos to help children understand their feelings. This helps children to begin to self-regulate.
Leadership and governance: Expected standard
Leaders are passionate about their role and proactive in their approach. They work closely with parents to plan an effective curriculum for all children, including those who may need more support in the setting and at home. For example, leaders and staff meet with parents regularly to share children's achievements and how to continue this learning at home. This joined-up approach has a positive impact on the care and education of all children. Leaders value staff and have regular meetings to check on their wellbeing and workloads. Staff attend regular training to continually improve their knowledge and teaching. For example, they recently attended training to support the emotional needs of children. This had a positive impact on how they support children to name and regulate their feelings. Leaders reflect on a regular basis to ensure they continue to offer quality education and care. However, group time is not as well planned as other parts of the day. This affects children's engagement and, at times, impacts on their behaviour and learning. Nonetheless, overall, leaders have an accurate idea of the strengths and areas for development of the setting.
What the setting must and should do next
The provider should:
- Leaders should support staff to plan group times and points of transition more effectively so all children remain engaged and fully benefit from the intended learning.
Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 3 December 2025. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Inspection history
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
- Bluebells Day Nursery & Preschool - Day nursery, Chatham ME5 0AA, ages 0 to 4, 48 places, under 0.1 milesOfsted report card, 26 March 2026: Needs attention in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Crestway Preschool - Pre-school, Chatham ME5 0BL, ages 2 to 4, 35 places, 0.2 milesOfsted report card, 12 February 2026: Strong standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Play A Way Day Nursery - Day nursery, Gillingham ME7 4AD, ages 0 to 4, 42 places, 0.5 milesOfsted, 13 June 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Abacus Day Care Limited - Day nursery, Chatham ME5 7NX, ages 0 to 4, 80 places, 0.7 milesOfsted report card, 12 February 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Tiny Tugs Medway Trust Day Nursery - Day nursery, Gillingham ME7 5NY, ages 0 to 4, 55 places, 0.8 milesOfsted, 15 December 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Schools nearby
- Luton Primary School - Primary, 0.2 miles
- Chatham Grammar - Secondary, 0.4 miles
- Byron Primary School - Primary, 0.6 miles
- The Victory Academy - Secondary, 0.6 miles
- Hospital and Medical Tuition Service - All-through, 0.7 miles