Pennies Day Nursery - Hockers Lane, Maidstone

149 Hockers Lane, Weavering, Maidstone ME14 5JY
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9.9 125 Reviews
  • Pennies Day Nursery - Hockers Lane, Maidstone, Maidstone
This cottage-style nursery was graded by Ofsted as ‘Good in all areas’ in December 2021. Located near Bearsted on the edge of the North Downs; an area of outstanding natural beauty, Pennies Hockers Lane perfectly balances rural surroundings with the convenience of swift access to main routes, such as the M20.

The main features of Hockers Lane include catering for children from three months to five years and four separate rooms, arranged by age, for nursery age children.

The nursery ensure parents have an active involvement in decisions on care for their children. There is an extensive garden with Pennies Pit Stop, sensory snug, book nook large sandpit, play equipment and sheltered areas. While meals are prepared daily by a trained chef and made with fresh ingredients sourced from local suppliers.

Pennies offers an annual social calendar of events for children and parents and has rooms that are designed specifically for babies, toddlers, and pre-school aged children.

Pennies fully-inclusive fees cover all food, drinks, nappies and formula milks for the babies and children in their care.
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Caroline Hannant and Kathryn Fox (Nursery Managers)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 30

Total Places for Children

  • 55

Age Range

  • from 0 years 3 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Funding & Fees

  • Per day:
    Under 2's £111.75
    2-3 yrs £109.75
    Over 3's £108.75

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:30
    Tuesday 07:30-18:30
    Wednesday 07:30-18:30
    Thursday 07:30-18:30
    Friday 07:30-18:30

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Parking

  • No parking restrictions on Hockers Lane - other than not in front of neighbours driveways.

Pennies Day Nursery - Hockers Lane, Maidstone Reviews (125)

9.9

Pennies Day Nursery - Hockers Lane, Maidstone has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.944) out of 10, based on 15 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Pennies Day Nursery - Hockers Lane, Maidstone has 125 reviews.

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Reviewer Connection to Pennies Day Nursery - Hockers Lane, Maidstone
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Review from Eden V (Mother of Child) published on 20 March 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The nursery offers a great level of care for my son. The settling in process was very smooth. Communication with staff is made really easy through an online platform called tapestry as well as via telephone and email. Almost every day my son attends I get to see pictures of what he has been up to. My
son is always smiling at Pennies Day Nursery. Couldn't have asked for a nicer nursery to look after my son.
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Review from MK (Mother of Child) published on 20 March 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Choosing a nursery is always difficult and Pennies is by far the best decision we’ve made regarding daycare for our children. They go beyond what most nurseries would do regarding overall care. Staff are excellent, committed and wonderful with the children. The garden is great and room leaders are dedicated
to planning varied and exciting activities. We’ve enrolled three children so far and if we have another, we’d select Pennies without hesitation.
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Review from Moira S (Mother of Child) published on 20 March 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has attended this nursery since she was 10 months old and has loved every day she’s been there.
The staff are friendly and approachable and always happy to see the children and the parents dropping them off/picking them up.
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Review from Gemma H (Mother of Child) published on 20 March 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
An excellent nursery overall where the staff really take an interest in every child and try lots of different activities to help them learn and grow in confidence. My only slightly negative comment would be that there has been quite a change in staff recently, however, the new staff, on the whole,
have made an effort to build a relationship with the child and parents.
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Review from David L (Father of Child) published on 20 March 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Pennies Day Nursery has given our daughter the foundation and structure to flourish with the interaction with fantastic staff, an environment that continues to surprise and amaze on every visit and instil imagination, creativity and enjoyment into our daughters visits every time - making it feel like
a warm and loving home away from home.


We continue to see the exponential advancement of our daughter's progress, curriculum and character which is all down to the exceptionally high calibre of staff at the nursery, she always leaves with a smile on her face and no doubt great memories that she will cherish.


It's the little details; a handcraft mothers day card, growing their own vegetables, group walks to the park and embracing foreign languages - simply fantastic!


We look forward to our daughter continuing her fairy tale at Pennies.

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Review from Radha P (Mother of Child) published on 20 March 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Pennies Day Nursery - Hockers Lane, Maidstone have been excellent. My Child started out a one day a week and when ever I have needed extra session they have been very accommodating.
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Review from Katherine L (Mother of Child) published on 16 January 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has really flourished since starting care in the baby room at Pennies at Hockers Lane. All the staff are caring, have great energy and really keep the children well occupied and challenged. Now my daughter is in mini-preschool she has built a huge amount of confidence and character and
I am sure that the great personalised care she gets at Pennies has played a huge role in this.
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Review from Rebekah M (Mother of Child) published on 11 January 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Absolutely love Pennies as does my daughter. Cannot fault the staff, they are all amazing! Every member of staff is warm and inviting.
My daughter is constantly learning and progressing from attending Pennies, she comes home happy and well fed each evening with exciting stories of what she’s been
up to each day.


Pennies has made going back to work so much easier as I know my daughter is in safe hands, in an environment where she is taught to strive and grow into a wonderful little girl.

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Review from Thea S (Mother of Child) published on 14 December 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Pennies Hockers Lane is clean, well equipped, nursery with a friendly inclusive atmosphere and engaging qualified staff. Clear and incredibly safe policies in place to protect the children.


Children enjoy wide-ranging activities organised to stimulate and inspire them. The staff build very good rapport

and trust with all the children.


The staff also communicate very well with parents promptly in person, by phone, via dedicated website and app. I feel well informed of the nursery's activities, staff activities and my children's daily progress.


The food is plentiful, nutritious and varied, individual toothbrushes and nappies are provided for smaller children.


All in all the best choice I've ever made for my children.

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Review from John S (Father of Child) published on 13 December 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Exceptional in every way, from the staff to the structure of learning and the opportunities they give children. Pennies, Hockers Lane, is a glowing example of a very important gap in modern parenting that is being filled by first-rate day nurseries.


Our child has, and will for the rest of his early

years, benefit from his time at Pennies Hockers Lane. I'm incredibly happy with the role and the rest of the team have played in our child's formative years, they are all fantastic, at the top of their game and deserve all the praise they receive.
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Review from Phillip M (Father of Child) published on 13 December 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This nursery is absolutely fantastic. The place and rooms for the children are perfect, clean and really adapted to their young age. Our son is always happy to go there and always seems to have had a great day when we picked him up. Above all the personnel/staff are great, fully dedicated to the children
and plenty of great ideas to develop the children. We have full confidence in all of them. Communication with the nursery has always been very easy, we would strongly recommend this nursery.
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Review from Holly S (Mother of Child) published on 6 February 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Pennies is a lovely nursery with a more homely feel. The staff are always friendly and appear to genuinely care about my son, including what he's up to outside of nursery and any ways in which they can help with his development. Above all, my son enjoys going here so it makes me feel happier about leaving
him at the nursery.
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Review from Michelle H (Mother of Child) published on 30 January 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I was extremely anxious leaving my daughter at nursery so that I could go back to work but Pennies made it so much easier. They provide exceptional care of the children. My daughter loves going and always chats happily about what she has done during the day.
The staff are very friendly and always
have time to talk to you and answer any questions or concerns.
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Review from Fiona G (Mother of Child) published on 24 January 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic nursery, so happy that we have been able to let our son go there and have a place booked for our youngest son for when I finish maternity leave.


Our son loves the extensive outdoor area where he can play with friends. The staff tailor activities to your individual child taking into account

their interests and observations on the online tapestry system allow you to see what they have been enjoying there. Staff are always very friendly and show great care for our child.


We feel very happy that our son is so happy there although it can be a little upsetting that he is much more excited by a day at nursery than a day at home with us!

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Review from Erin S (Mother of Child) published on 24 January 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Pennies at Hocker Lane is a home away from home for my son. The layout feels homely and the rooms are not too big or overwhelming for the children. One of the deciding factors for me was the garden at Hocker Lane, it is big and full of areas for children to explore. As much as contact books are good,
at Pennies they have the online sharing system where key workers upload photos, updates and progress scoring to keep parents informed of what the children have been up to. It is almost exciting to get an email and then be able to see the children half way through the day.
All the staff take the time to meet parents and are always very approachable.
The food at Pennies is not only varied and but children are always encouraged to try different food either at meal times or snack times. There has even been trips to the supermarket for the toddlers to choose their own food!
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Review from Lia M (Mother of Child) published on 24 January 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Staff at Pennies Hockers Lane are all very friendly and happy, they all address my son by name at the entrance, even if they work in a different room to him. Therefore providing an intimate and secure environment. I feel my son is very settled and although may resist going occasionally once there he
is familiar and happy. The outdoor facilities are extremely good and the emphasis on outdoor play is great.
Communication is good from most individuals but can be vague on occasion. We have little contact with his key worker, however, the resident staff member in his room is a great substitute. I would like to be more aware of the food menu since he moved to mini Pre school.
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Review from Lucy B (Mother of Child) published on 23 January 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic nursery. My daughter loves it and has developed tremendously. Staff provide a mix of activities and commicate effectively with parents. Any concerns or comments are listened to and delt with. I'm at 100% confident that she is cared for at all times. This nursery is expensive but worth every
penny.
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Review from Terry (Father of Child) published on 23 January 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A good indication of your child's happiness is when you pick them up at the end of the day and they would rather stay and play with the nursery staff and their friends! The staff are always happy, engaging and care about the children. This is my second child at Pennies, so my review and assessment
is not a snapshot in time, but over a sustained period of years.
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Review from Klaire L (Mother of Child) published on 23 January 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have been delighted with Pennies. Our daughter was at the nursery for four years and was so happy there. Our son has been at Pennies since he was about nine months old and he is now 2 and a half.
He has also been very happy there. The staff are exceptional - so caring and the small groups make
the nursery so personal, the staff get to know the children so well and understand and respond to their needs. We are very happy leaving our children at Pennies.
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Review from Daniel G (Father of Child) published on 23 January 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The best place I could think of for my daughter to grow and meet new friends. Everyone is so caring and I know my daughter is getting a great start in life. A massive thanks to everyone at Pennies Hockers Lane.
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.944)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.944) out of 10 for Pennies Day Nursery - Hockers Lane, Maidstone is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 15 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 15 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.944 for Pennies Day Nursery - Hockers Lane, Maidstone is calculated as follows: ( (171 Excellents x 5) + (8 Goods x 4) + (1 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 180 Ratings = 4.944
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Pennies Day Nursery - Hockers Lane, Maidstone is based on 15 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 55 number of registered child places is 11, which has been reached with 15 Positive reviews. Points = 1
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (9)

Meet the Team (3)

Caroline

Caroline Hannant

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2007

I have worked for Pennies for nearly 18 years, I have worked alongside a great team and successfully progressed from being Head of Unit, Third in Charge, Deputy Manager at Newnham Court to Nursery Manager at Hockers Lane.


I love being apart of such a great team and I share my enthusiasm, with the teams, for arts and crafts, messy play and sensory exploration, promoting great learning opportunities for the children. My work family has extended and the team, children and parents, couldn't have made me feel more welcome.

Kathryn

Kathryn Fox

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2024

Hi, my name is Kathryn and I joined Pennies in April 2024. I have worked in Early Years establishments for the past 23 years. Back at the beginning of my career, I gained an NNEB in childcare, working in various day nurseries and school settings, with children aged between 3 months to 5 years. More recently I have achieved a BA Hons (first class) degree in Early childhood studies and spent time teaching children in Preschool settings. Having the opportunity to be part of the Pennies family is wonderful and enables me to continue to fulfil my passion within the Early Years and continue to be part of children’s early childhood journey.

Sarah-Lou

Sarah-Lou Stepney

Job Title: Deputy Manager - Early Years Professional Joined: 2001

Hi, my name is Sarah-Lou and I started Pennies at Hockers Lane in 2001 as a Level 3 Practitioner. Before joining Pennies I worked for another family run company and during this time I completed a Level 2 and 3 NVQ in Childcare and Education. In 2005, when Newnham Court opened, I decided to take a new post there. During my time at Pennies I have gained experience working with children from 3 months old to 11 years old. I have also had 2 children of my own, Millie and Jake. In 2016 I took on a Development Coordinator role at Pennies which allowed me to work with all 3 nurseries and to support each setting with their CPD. I’ve now come back to Hockers Lane as Deputy manager.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Pennies Day Nursery - Hockers Lane, Maidstone to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Pennies Day Nursery - Hockers Lane, Maidstone has an Enhanced Service - more info.