Little Explorers

206c Maidstone Road, Rochester ME1 3EJ
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10 18 Reviews
Little Explorers Day Nursery & Preschool, rated Outstanding by Ofsted (February 2020), offers quality care and education for children aged 3 months to 5 years in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, as well as the nursery’s curriculum, which values and encourages everyone, promoting respect for others through a strong emphasis on the development of self-discipline and good manners.

The welfare and wellbeing of children is of paramount importance. Great care is taken to provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment which will allow children to develop confidence, independence and good social skills in what will become their second home.

The nursery provides inspirational learning experiences, both indoors and out. The nursery places a great emphasis on spending time outdoors. There is a safe and enclosed garden where children are encouraged to play and learn about the natural environment. There is even a vegetable patch where the nursery grows their own vegetables!
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Type of Service

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

Person in charge

  • Charlotte Stephenson (Nursery Manager)

Admission Criteria

  • None

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 16

Total Places for Children

  • 41

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • Available on request

Opening Times

  • Monday 08:00-18:00
    Tuesday 08:00-18:00
    Wednesday 08:00-18:00
    Thursday 08:00-18:00
    Friday 08:00-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holiday & 1 week at Christmas

Parking

  • They have parking to the front of the nursery and to the rear, with plenty of spaces for drop off/pick up.

Little Explorers Reviews (18)

10

Little Explorers has a Review Score of 10 (9.979) out of 10, based on 12 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Little Explorers has 18 reviews.

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Review from L M (Mother of Child) published on 14 August 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I moved my son to this nursery after an unsettling environment at his last nursery and he has been welcomed with kindness from all the staff. You know your child loves nursery when they go in with a smile and a big wave - emotions he never displayed at his old nursery. Within a week of my son being
here, his communication has seen a massive leap which is due to the staff positively engaging with the children.


This places costs a little more than local nurseries, but well worth it to know your child is being looked after well.

Reply from Jennifer OShea, Customer Experience Team Leader at Little Explorers

Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to share your experience. We're delighted to hear that your son has settled in so well and is coming in with a smile. Our team is dedicated to creating a nurturing and engaging environment, so it means a lot to hear that this has made such an impact.

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Review from Rebecca R (Mother of Child) published on 8 August 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My child enjoys going to nursery, since being at Little Explorers we never have tears about going in, which speaks volumes to me. They are very good at posting Daily Dairies and Observations. It's really lovely to see how he is progressing while he is there. The staff all seem caring and professional
and look after the children well, knowing their little personalities and support them to reach their goals.

Reply from Jennifer OShea, Customer Experience Team Leader at Little Explorers

Thank you for your lovely feedback. We're so pleased to hear that your child enjoys coming in and feels happy and settled at Little Explorers. It's great to know that our Daily Diaries and Observations help you stay connected with his progress, and we appreciate your kind words about our team's care and dedication.

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Review from J J (Mother of Child) published on 8 August 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We couldn't be happier with our experience at Little Explorers! Our child started in the baby room at just 10 months old and spent 3.5 wonderful years growing, learning, and thriving there.
From day one, the staff showed genuine warmth, professionalism, and care. What truly sets this nursery apart
are the outstanding teachers and management. They took the time to understand our child's personality and needs, and always created a safe, loving, and stimulating environment.Over the years, we watched our child develop confidence, social skills, and a real love for learning-all thanks to the thoughtful guidance and encouragement of the teaching team.
It's so much more than a nursery-it's a community that truly supports both children and parents.

Reply from Jennifer OShea, Customer Experience Team Leader at Little Explorers

Thank you for taking the time to share such a thoughtful review. We're delighted to hear that your experience with Little Explorers has been so positive over the years. Our team is committed to creating a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment for every child, and it's wonderful to know that this was reflected throughout your time with us.

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Review from C B (Mother of Child) published on 7 August 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We are so grateful for the wonderful experience our child has had. From the very beginning, the staff have shown such warmth, professionalism, and genuine care. It's been amazing to watch our child grow in confidence, curiosity, and independence during their time here.The nurturing environment has made
every drop-off easy, knowing they were in safe, loving hands.The team go above and beyond to make each child feel valued, heard, and encouraged. Whether through creative play, outdoor learning, or early literacy and numeracy activities, every day has been engaging and enriching.Communication has always been excellent, with regular updates, photos, and support that have made us feel truly involved in our child's development. We've especially appreciated how individual needs are respected, and how positive relationships have been built not only with the children, but with families too.Saying goodbye is emotional, but we leave with such fond memories and immense gratitude. Thankyou!!

Reply from Jennifer OShea, Customer Experience Team Leader at Little Explorers

Thank you for your lovely review. We're so pleased to hear that your experience at our nursery has been positive. It's great to know that our team's care, communication, and commitment to each child's development have made a lasting impact.

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Review from J B (Mother of Child) published on 27 June 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Little explorers have been amazing ever since my little boy started in the baby room. They know my child well his likes, dislikes, comforters etc. they have changed his key person accordingly when he appeared to bond better with different members of staff, which truly shows they always have his best
interests at the heart of their care.
More recently he has been toilet training. All the staff at little explorers have been great, helpful and understanding as he still quite young but showed a great interest.
They took the challenge on with me and he's mastered in just a short space of
Time, with constant encouragement, reassurance, praise and many toilet trips. I am so grateful as this wouldn't have been
Possible without them.
My son is now is toddler Room and is continuing to thrive thanks to all their hard work, dedication, love and care they show each and everyone of the children. It's a beautiful nursery and I feel more than happy when I drop him off in the mornings.

Reply from Jennifer OShea, Customer Experience Team Leader at Little Explorers

Thank you for taking the time to share such a lovely review. We're so pleased to hear that you've had a positive experience with Little Explorers and that our team has been able to support your child through each stage of their development.

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Review from H D (Mother of Child) published on 31 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

This nursery is a refreshing change from large, corporate-style nurseries. It has a warm, family-like atmosphere, thanks to its dedicated, long-standing staff. The team consistently goes above and beyond, making me feel heard, valued, and never rushed when discussing my child's needs.


My daughter

is currently in the toddler room with a member of staff, who was also at the nursery when my now eight-year-old attended. She is an incredible asset to the team, always making me feel that she is just as invested in my child's happiness and development as I am. My daughter absolutely adores her and all the other staff.


The nursery's managers work tirelessly to create an environment where children can be happy and thrive. Despite them being busy, they always take the time to talk with both me and my daughter.


This nursery has given my sons a strong foundation for school, and I have no doubt it will do the same for my daughter. I couldn't be happier with the care and support they provide.

Reply from Jennifer OShea, Customer Experience Team Leader at Little Explorers

Thank you so much for your review! It is wonderful to hear that you feel supported and valued, and that your children have had such positive experiences at the nursery. The team take great pride in creating a warm, family-like environment where every child can thrive, and it's truly rewarding to know that this has made a difference for your family.

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Review from K P (Mother of Child) published on 7 October 2024
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The team at Little Explorers are just so wonderful! They have always gone above and beyond to support and develop our little one. They are very knowledgeable and experienced. They have a wonderful rapport with the children which reassured us from day one. They are by far the best nursery we have sent
our daughter to and greatly deserve the 'Outstanding' grading from Ofsted. Thank you!

Reply from Sonny, Marketing at Little Explorers

Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so thrilled to hear how much you value the care and support your little one has received at Little Explorers. Our knowledgeable and experienced team loves building strong connections with children and families, so your words are deeply appreciated. Hearing that we're the best nursery you've attended and that you feel our 'Outstanding' Ofsted rating is well-deserved makes us so proud. Thank you for trusting us. We're delighted to have been part of your journey!

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Review from T B (Father of Child) published on 7 October 2024
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Excellent, attentive, great early feedback. In the short time our daughter has been there she has really flourished. They have made great efforts to get to know her and adapted their care for her.

Reply from Sonny, Marketing at Little Explorers

What a fantastic review, thank you! It's amazing to hear how quickly your daughter has flourished during her short time with us. Our team works hard to tailor care to each child's unique needs, so it's wonderful to know you've felt reassured by their efforts. We're so proud to be part of her growth and can't wait to see what else she'll achieve. Thank you for your kind words-they mean so much!

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Review from D W (Father of Child) published on 25 September 2024
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Little Explorers has genuinely been a revelation for both of my children. They love it and thrive there - this is down to the incredibly hard-working, nurturing staff. They make miracles happen everyday.

Reply from Sonny, Marketing at Little Explorers

Wow, what an incredible review, thank you! It's so uplifting to hear how much Little Explorers has meant to your family. Knowing your children are thriving and loving their time with us is truly the highest compliment. Our team takes such pride in creating a nurturing environment, and your words about them working "miracles" every day have left us smiling from ear to ear. Thank you for being part of our Little Explorers family!

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Review from Hannah C (Mother of Child) published on 1 July 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We found Little Explorers after a false start with another nursery. From day one, it's been an exceptional experience all around. The induction was brilliant, my son was happy and I was left feeling confident that he would be safe and well cared for. The senior staff know all the children by name and
are happy to stop and have a chat and I love that so many staff across all the rooms are involved in the children's care. My son is quite full-on for his age and I've appreciated the ongoing conversation with the team about ways to manage various behaviours. His social skills, motor skills, problem-solving and communication have all developed noticeably as a result of the support he has had at Little Explorers. The team have gone out of their way to accommodate us when I've needed additional hours at short notice (they can't always do this, but have been very helpful). We are absolutely delighted to have found Little Explorers and consider ourselves very lucky to have a place here.

Reply from Sonny, Marketing at Little Explorers

We're overjoyed that you found Little Explorers to be such a positive experience after your initial nursery search. It's fantastic to hear how your son's skills have blossomed with our support. Our team loves getting involved and making personal connections with every child. We're delighted to accommodate your needs whenever possible. Thank you for sharing your delightful journey with us!

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Review from L G (Grandmother of Child) published on 13 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My grandson has been here for just under a year now and the changes are so positive. He is thriving in all areas and is extremely happy here. He looks forward to seeing his friends and staff alike.
The staff have always been so caring and supportive throughout a really tough time in my grandson's
life as well as teaching him and communicating with myself in all areas.
I always get updates on the app about what he has eaten or been participating in. I am fully aware of any events planned through this too, meaning I can plan around work in plenty of time.
Being at Little Explorers is like having extended family and they are all such a big part of my grandson's life.
The nursery managers really care about each and every child and they go over and beyond to make sure they are happy in their setting.
I would recommend Little Explorers 100%.

Reply from Sid, Senior Marketing Executive at Little Explorers

Thank you for your lovely review! We are delighted to hear that your grandson is thriving and happy in our care. It's heartening to know that our staff have been caring and supportive during challenging times and we appreciate your kind words about the communication and updates through the app.

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Review from L S (Mother of Child) published on 22 January 2024
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Excellent nursery in every way. Play areas are well equipped, staff are friendly and know all about my child. At the end of each update we get a digital update with developmental observations tracked.
Our child is very happy there.

Reply from Sid, Senior Marketing Executive at Little Explorers

Thank you for your lovely review! We're thrilled to hear that you find our nursery excellent in every way. It's great to know that the play areas are well-equipped and that our staff is friendly and knowledgeable about your child. We're delighted that you appreciate the digital updates with developmental observations, providing you with valuable insights into your child's progress.

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Review from Sharan D (Mother of Child) published on 26 September 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Outstanding nursery. A wonderful family feel, both of my daughters flourished here. The team made great headway with their development and ensured they were nurtured in a caring environment. Would highly recommend.

Reply from Harjit, Digital Marketing Executive at Little Explorers

Thank you for the review and saying you would highly recommend us. We love caring for all the children.

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Review from L L (Mother of Child) published on 14 September 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Amazing nursery. My husband and I have been so happy with the staff, great facilities and excellent care for my child. My boy is so happy there. I cannot recommend you enough. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming.

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Review from Aaron S (Father of Child) published on 14 September 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 3.0 out of 5

Our previous reviews for this nursery have always been exceptionally positive, with little or no cause for suggestions for improvement. Sadly, since the new ownership we feel there has been a significant drop in the quality of administrative communication from the office - i.e. numerous emails not being
responded to. We were also not informed that our child was being introduced to pre-school and only found out weeks later. Also, not having a sports day, particularly after such a difficult couple of years and missing out on so much already, simply because the staff have too much admin work to do now is unacceptable. Despite the many negatives now, we feel the practitioners continue to be hard-working, committed and interested in the development of our child. We also previously really liked the app and being able to share photographs and experiences of our child that the practitioners showed an interest in. This has never been suggested or encouraged since the change.

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Review from J P (Mother of Child) published on 14 September 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has been at Little Explorers for over a year now and he has been very happy there. I have found the staff to be wonderful, energetic, friendly and very accommodating. They have worked well with me on any special requests that we may be working on at home. And offer me great support and advice
when I have asked. My son has thrived there and I think there is a great balance of learning and playing and especially playing outside.


I love the little extras that happen there, like Christmas concerts, sports days and Easter parade. I don't know many other nursery's that do that. It makes the parents feel included and great that the kids have a big group project to work on.


I can tell that he feels very loved at school, and I trust the teachers completely. I will be very sad to be moving on to big school later this year.

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Review from Silvina P (Mother of Child) published on 9 September 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter absolutely loves attending the nursery. In the mornings she literally runs from the gate towards the nursery staff. The entire staff is extremely attentive, caring and polite. They always provide us with a detailed overview of our little one's day. I am amazed by the various structured,
interesting and educational activities they provide on a daily basis. The space they have is used in the best way possible. The other most impressive thing is they have a kitchen and provide freshly cooked food - something we never had with my other child's nursery and I had to bring cooked meals which then would get microwaved - something which I am really not fond of not to mention the option of dry sandwiches. The cleanliness - is beyond amazing! Support with initially changing nappies and subsequently toilet training - amazing! Thank you!

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Review from Ben H (Father of Child) published on 5 August 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter has been attending Little Explorers for over two years. She joined from another nursery, and Little Explorers is head and shoulders above them. The facilities are top-notch, the staff are all fantastic, and my daughter absolutely loves going there. They spend loads of time outdoors as well
as having loads of stuff to do indoors, and I can see how much my daughter has improved in all aspects of her development since joining the nursery. Would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a nursery.

Reply from Harjit, Digital Marketing Executive at Little Explorers

Thank you for the review. It is great to see your daughter loves coming to nursery and is growing and developing here at Little Explorers.

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Current Review Score: 10.0 (9.979)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 10 (9.979) out of 10 for Little Explorers is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 12 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 12 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:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.979 for Little Explorers is calculated as follows: ( (141 Excellents x 5) + (3 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 144 Ratings = 4.979

  • b) 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 Little Explorers is based on 12 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 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

    • ii) 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 41 number of registered child places is 8.2, which has been reached with 12 Positive reviews. Points = 1

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

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Frequently Asked Questions about Little Explorers

What is the Age Range of Children that Little Explorers accepts?

Little Explorers accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Little Explorers Open?

Little Explorers is open: Monday 08:00-18:00, Tuesday 08:00-18:00, Wednesday 08:00-18:00, Thursday 08:00-18:00, Friday 08:00-18:00.

How many Children does Little Explorers have capacity for?

Little Explorers has capacity for a total of 41 Children.

How far is Little Explorers to the centre of Rochester?

1.2 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

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