Play A Way Day Care Centre

Oddfellows Hall, 2a Vicarage Road, Gillingham ME7 5HZ
Review Us
10 50 Reviews
  • Play A Way Day Care Centre, Gillingham
Play A Way Day Care Centre is one of three Gillingham facilities from this provider (Play A Way Nurseries Ltd), all of which are well-respected by families and parents whose children have benefited from a sound early years curriculum.

All of the nursery's team are well-qualified and believe in a friendly approach towards both children and parents, respecting the direction of regulator Ofsted and the key goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Show Play A Way Day Care Centre on the Map

Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Tasha Cave (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 12

Total Places for Children

  • 35

Age Range

  • from 2 years 0 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Funding & Fees

  • Day Nursery Children:


    AM/PM Session: 08:30–11:30 (AM) or 12:30–15:30 (PM) - £30.00
    Core Session: 08:30am–3:30pm - £60.00
    Full Day:07:30am-6:00pm - £67.50
    Half Day: 07:30am–12:30pm or 12:30–6:00 pm - £42.00
    Full week: 5 Full days – (Mon–Fri) - £315.00
    Additional Hour - £10.50

  • Types of funding accepted:
    Tax free childcare accepted
    2 year old funding
    3 years old funding
    15/30 hours funding

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:00
    Tuesday 07:30-18:00
    Wednesday 07:30-18:00
    Thursday 07:30-18:00
    Friday 07:30-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & 1 week at Christmas

Parking

  • One hour free street parking for all visitors.

Play A Way Day Care Centre Reviews (50)

10

Play A Way Day Care Centre has a Review Score of 10 (9.954) out of 10, based on 17 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Play A Way Day Care Centre has 50 reviews.

Overall Experience
  • 44
  • 6
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Date Published
  • 50
  • 6
  • 12
  • 17
  • 33
Reviewer Connection to Play A Way Day Care Centre
  • 41
  • 7
  • 1
  • 1
Total of 50, showing 1-20
Review from Juned A (Father of Child) published on 2 December 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic place and highly recommended!
All of staff are very friendly and helpful. Our son started 1.5 years ago and he absolutely loves going there. He is getting ready to start reception next year while being well cared for and getting fantastic support. Tasha and the team creates warm and welcoming
environment, the kids have lots of fun every day. Tasha is well organised, creative and full of energy - always goes above and beyond! I particularly love that we are getting daily reports with photos - that is invaluable.
Thank you Tasha and all of your staff.
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you for such a lovely review, it has been our pleasure watching how your son is growing and developing whilst being here with us :)
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from S V (Father of Child) published on 1 December 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Excellent nursery. Both my kids went to this one. They helped ease my big one had an amazing time. My younger one loves going to nursery and always looks forward to it. Great facilities, great staff five stars.
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you so much for your lovely review, it has been a pleasure watching your family grow and enjoying their time here with us :)
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Sarah S (Mother of Child) published on 26 November 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I am more than delighted to have my son in play- away. The staff a warm, friendly and re assuring, when my husband and I were looking for nursery for our son this September we were looking for nursery that can provide the needs of our son and meet his target as a toddler to get him ready for preschool,
a place where he can build his confidence, an learn whilst having fun, amongst the options we heard we choose play-away, which we did not regret at all, we can see how much he's grown just this few months.His first day was mind blowing he came back home with so many words, it was a shock for me because he couldn't stop he went on and on every single day is a brand new day with singing, words and sentences, all this credits goes to the amazing & wonderful staffs, love the approach of teaching in cooperated rather than living them to explore, his previous school staffs were amazing but kids were left to explore and been curious in there little world. I must say keep up the excellent work.
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you for this lovely review, I'm so glad that you put you trust in us with your son. It has been a pleasure watching him grow especially in such a short period of time :)
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Conor C (Father of Child) published on 26 November 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Since my Little girl started there she has had the best time and absolutely loves going to nursery. The staff are great with her and she adores them. I really enjoy the updates they send out about her day. Would highly recommend to anyone.
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you for this lovely review, we are so glad that you and your child are enjoying your time at the nursery :)
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from R K (Mother of Child) published on 24 November 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A safest and friendly environment for kids . Staff is very friendly and talented. They always take care of the kids. Whenever I approach them with questions and problems regarding my tot they always have support me and gave answers to my queries. Highly recommended place for toddlers in Gillingham.
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you for such a lovely review, we are very happy that you and your child are enjoying your time here with us :)
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from D P (Mother of Child) published on 24 October 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff are always super accommodating and supportive,which as a first-time Mum is incredibly reassuring. I leave my baby girl in complete confidence that her needs are being met and she is safe. I've been particularly impressed at the fantastic communication by all staff. They share any concerns
but are equally happy to listen and answer any questions that I may have too.I cannot stress enough how much my child loves attending the nursery each and every day. She always mentions how much fun she has with both staff members and peers.
Thank you anyways for making my daughter feel right at home and allowing her to flourish. She has the best time there, and it's evident by how excited she is to go to nursery. Thank you for being her second family and for everything you have done and continue to do.
You ladies deserve all the credit for the amazing work you do!
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you for such a lovely review, we are so glad that you and your daughter are happy with with the nursery. It is fantastic to see how much she has developed is enjoying her nursery experience :)
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Khan G (Father of Child) published on 7 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I feel confident in leaving my child at the nursery knowing he will be well looked after for the day. Staff are so good with him and he even talks about the staff when he gets home. I would highly recommend and this nursery will give your child a good foundation to progress successfully onto school.
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you for this lovely review. I'm so happy that your child is settled and enjoying his time here. It has been wonderful to watch him grow and become more confident within himself :)
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from M O (Mother of Child) published on 30 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I highly recommend this nursery to other parents looking for a warm, caring, and educational environment.
The staff are incredibly caring and passionate, and they really nurture the children's individual needs.
Just a huge thank you to everyone for their commitment and hard work. The app is also a
fantastic way to see what my daughter have been doing and I love seeing the photos and messages so definitely keep up the hard work with that.
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you for this lovely review. We are so glad that you are happy with the service we are providing, and that your child is enjoying themselves whilst here :)
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Nidhi B (Mother of Child) published on 31 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This is the excellent nursery .all staff members are really cooperative, helping and encouraging.Amazing way of play including learning as well. I appreciate everything because the day one to till yet my son join the nursery I found a great change in him. He can speak very well now before that I am
concerned about his speech. He is taking interest in everything. Thanks to all team members of the nursery.
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you so much for your review. We are so glad that your child has been enjoying their time were. We have loved watching them grow and blossom :)
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from K R (Mother of Child) published on 31 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son is very happy and always looks forward to going into nursery. It wasn't always this way but they really helped and were patient while he was settling in. He always speaks fondly of members of staff and they are always helpful. It is lovely to see the activities he gets up to during the day via
the Blossom App. Overall we are really happy with our experience here
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you so much for this lovely review. We are glad that your child is enjoying their time here with us also :)
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from C P (Mother of Child) published on 25 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I would highly recommend play a way nursery for children of all ages,
The staff are all so kind, caring and polite: my daughter loves going everyday she comes out so happy we have never had any problems,
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you so much for your review, we are so glad that you and your daughter are enjoying your time here with us :)
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from C M (Mother of Child) published on 19 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Play A Way Day Care Centre has been an incredible experience for my son, and I couldn't be happier with my choice. From the moment he started, he has absolutely loved it, forming a great bond with all the staff. It's clear how much they genuinely care for the children, making every day fun and nurturing.
I
love receiving daily updates and photos, reassuring me of what he's been up to. Whether it's messy play, arts and crafts, or role-playing, they always introduce exciting activities. The staff also keep me informed about his meals, letting me know what he enjoys and dislikes.
The warmth and dedication of the staff are unmatched-they truly understand and support every child. My son has grown so much in confidence and skills since joining. The communication, care, and engaging environment make this nursery exceptional. I highly recommend it to any parent looking for a safe, fun, and supportive place for their child.
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you so much for this lovely review. I'm so glad that you and your child have enjoyed being here as much as we have loved having your son with us. It has been amazing to see how much he has…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from S D (Father of Child) published on 3 December 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic nursery, my child has come on leaps and bounds since starting. The staff are all very welcoming and know the children well, doing the very best for them. The managers are very approachable and nothing is too much trouble. I couldn't fault this nursery. My child loves his time there and is
always happy when going.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Georgia B (Mother of Child) published on 20 November 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Couldn't rate this nursery enough, definitely recommend sending your little ones to this nursery. My child has overcome and grown so much since she started. She's always excited to go to nursery seeing her friends and teachers. Always talks about the activities she's done during the day. Honestly wish
she could stay here for longer.
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you for your lovely review, I'm so glad your daughter has settled well with us and is enjoying her time here as much as we enjoy having her.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Karleigh P (Mother of Child) published on 16 October 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our experience at Play-A-Way was incredible. My son came on in leaps and bounds right after starting. He created amazing friendships with other children and bonded with the staff, who were so kind and welcoming and got to know him better than ever expected, even knowing what he needed before he did.
His confidence grew thanks to the support of his key worker and other staff members, with constant encouragement and praise for all of his good work. He thrived in such a colourful, happy, and healthy environment. It was reassuring as a parent to know I was leaving my son in more than capable hands and he would be well looked after with every need met. He has made friendships that he has taken with him from nursery and we still talk about his time at Play-A-Way all the time.
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you for your lovely review, we are so happy that your son had such an amazing time with us and it's great that he still remembers his time here so fondly. We're so happy that he settled so well…read more
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Zoe Q (Mother of Child) published on 14 October 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Would recommend this nursery to anyone in and around the area, my son has only been going for a few months but from day one he has had the best time there, he's always running off happily to go to school and comes out telling me all about his day. The staff are all amazing and super comforting when
you're a little bit anxious about your little one starting. I honestly wouldn't want my children going anywhere else.
Reply from Natasha Cave, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you for such a lovely review, we're so glad that you and your son are enjoying your time here with us.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from Amanda H (Mother of Child) published on 20 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic nursery with the most amazing staff.
My daughter has been attending for 6 months and she absolutely loves it and all the friends she has made.
It's an incredibly supportive environment and the teachers are wonderful and always keep you up to date with your child's progress. 10/10.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from N C (Mother of Child) published on 4 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Play A Way Day Care is a wonderful community base nursery. As a first-time mum they welcomed me and my daughter with open arms. All the staff her very friendly, kind and loving. They really look after the children. Prior to coming to this nursery myself and my daughter had a very bad experience with
another nursery in the area which made us very nervous. However, the staff step right in and turned everything around within a week by God’s grace. I have seen a huge change in my daughter over a short period of time. She is very happy when I pick her up and drop her off, instead of being anxious and crying.
They always keep me updated on my daughter’s progress. You can tell that all the staff are passionate about their job. Keep up the excellent work ladies. You are all amazing.
Reply from Leanne Weeks, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank you for the lovely review, I am pleased to hear that we have all put your mind at ease when leaving your daughter with us, especially after the bad experience you both encountered before.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from S W (Mother of Child) published on 16 February 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
The fabulous staff and patience to the children and my son has become very confident with them. They helped to settle quickly by caring and giving cuddles. They really care about children's learning and development too.
I feel so happy to leave my son in such capable and warm hands.
Reply from Leanne Weeks, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Hi
Thank you for your review, I am pleased to hear that your son is very confident being here and with the staff.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Review from J S (Mother of Child) published on 12 December 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Since my daughter started, she has thrived tremendously with her nursery rhymes. Settling in was a breeze, and the staff and management are very welcoming and professional. As an educator myself, I am always happy to see my daughter's observations and just how well she is learning.
Reply from Leanne Weeks, Manager at Play A Way Day Care Centre
Thank u for your review. I am pleased that your daughter has thrived since starting here with us.
  • Facilities / Outside Space
  • Learning
  • Resources / Equipment / ICT
  • Care
  • Activities
  • Staff
  • Food / Nutrition
  • Management
  • Cleanliness
  • Safeguarding
  • Value for Money
Current Review Score: 10.0 (9.954)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 10 (9.954) out of 10 for Play A Way Day Care Centre is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 17 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 17 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 4.954 for Play A Way Day Care Centre is calculated as follows: ( (188 Excellents x 5) + (9 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 197 Ratings = 4.954
  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 Play A Way Day Care Centre is based on 17 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 35 number of registered child places is 7, which has been reached with 17 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.

Loading

Loading Loading

Loading

Loading

Awards / Recognitions (1)

Meet the Team (2)

Natasha

Natasha

Job Title: Manager

I have been employed by Play-a-Way Nurseries since leaving school. I started my career at Play-a-Way, Christmas Street setting and in those 11 years, I worked my way up to become the Pre-school Room Leader and the After-School Club Lead. However, after leaving and attempting many different career routes I missed my time working with the children. I realised that educating children and encouraging them to develop into their best selves through play and learning, expanding on their knowledge, interests, and skills was what I enjoyed and what I wanted to do. I returned to Play-a-Way and became Deputy Manager at the newly acquired Stuart Road setting before I was promoted to Manager at our Play-a-Way Vicarage Road setting. I recently gained my B.A. (Hons) in Early Childcare and Education and I am confident that the skills I developed in all three settings will be useful in my new position and will benefit the facility and the families and children who attend it.

Zoe

Zoe

Job Title: Deputy Manager

I have been employed at Play-a-Way since September 2023 as Deputy Manager and Preschool Room Lead. I have a Teaching Degree in Primary Education, specialising in Early Years. I started my career managing a nursery and then I moved on to primary education. I love to explore every individual child’s interest and always want to make learning as fun as can be. I am passionate about allowing children to develop independence, creativity and lifelong skills through play. I look forward to meeting the Play-a-Way families and getting to know all the wonderful children.

Frequently Asked Questions about Play A Way Day Care Centre

What is the Age Range of Children that Play A Way Day Care Centre accepts?

Play A Way Day Care Centre accepts Children aged from 2 years 0 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Play A Way Day Care Centre Open?

Play A Way Day Care Centre is open: Monday 07:30-18:00, Tuesday 07:30-18:00, Wednesday 07:30-18:00, Thursday 07:30-18:00, Friday 07:30-18:00.

How many Children does Play A Way Day Care Centre have capacity for?

Play A Way Day Care Centre has capacity for a total of 35 Children.

How far is Play A Way Day Care Centre to the centre of Gillingham?

0.4 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 Play A Way Day Care Centre to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Play A Way Day Care Centre has an Enhanced Service - more info.