Play A Way Day Care Centre

Oddfellows Hall, 2a Vicarage Road, Gillingham ME7 5HZ
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9.9 54 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.
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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 (54)

9.9

Play A Way Day Care Centre has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.918) out of 10, based on 21 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Play A Way Day Care Centre has 54 reviews.

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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.
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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 CentreThank 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.
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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 CentreHi
Thank you for your review, I am pleased to hear that your son is very confident being here and with the staff.
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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 CentreThank u for your review. I am pleased that your daughter has thrived since starting here with us.
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Review from B S (Mother of Child) published on 24 November 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Amazing nursery, could not ask for a better one! The staff are always so friendly and helpful and create a bond with the parents as well as the children which is what every parent wants - it can be so hard when your child starts at a new nursery but Play a Way has been nothing but welcoming to us. Our
daughter is so happy at nursery too, and she has only been there two months but has changed so much. Her confidence has grown and her speech has come on leaps and bounds. I just want to thank everyone at Play a Way Vicarage Road for being so kind and helpful and for going above and beyond for the little children that attend!
Reply from Leanne Weeks, Manager at Play A Way Day Care CentreThank you so much for your lovely review, I'm so glad you are pleased with the setting and staff as well as how well your daughter has come along in leaps and bounds, bonds are very important to us both with the children and their parents.
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Review from Nadine W (Mother of Child) published on 17 November 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic nursery! My two children absolutely love it here. My son especially has come on leaps and bounds since starting early this year. All the staff are lovely and are always happy to discuss any concerns or questions about my children. Couldn't recommend Play A Way enough!
Reply from Leanne Weeks, Manager at Play A Way Day Care CentreThank you for your review, I am so pleased that both your children enjoy attending the setting
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Review from Lauren K (Mother of Child) published on 15 November 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
So happy I put my little girl into this nursery! She's only been there just under a month and I can already see changes! Every evening she's doing the actions to nursery rhymes. Couldn't fault any of the staff very welcoming for my little girl and very approachable.
Reply from Leanne Weeks, Manager at Play A Way Day Care CentreHi. Thank you for your review, I am so pleased to hear that you are happy with the services and that she is doing really well since starting here with us.
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Review from Anita S (Mother of Child) published on 16 September 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We think that the nursery is excellent and my son goes there with a lot of happiness. The staff are really very kind. They really support and help my son with the language because we are from another country and he doesn't understand most of the stuff. My son is really happy when he goes there and I
really recommend the nursery.
Reply from Leanne Weeks, Manager at Play A Way Day Care CentreThank you for the review we are pleased that your son is happy to attend the setting.
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Review from M K (Mother of Child) published on 26 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Such a fantastic nusery. The staff are super helpful and are always willing to go that little bit extra to support the children. I felt supported and being a single parent I received help when I needed it the most. My son felt comfortable and happy with the staff and children. He made progress in leaps
and bounds ready for school in September! Overall a fantastic nursery.
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Review from C R (Mother of Child) published on 19 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My husband and I and most importantly our son, absolutely love the nursery. He has been attending since he was just over 2 and I intend to keep him there until he goes to school. The staff are lovely, and you can clearly see how much they care about the children. The manager is fantastic and always
offering support to my son and promptly discussing any concerns with me when needed. It’s great value for money compared to other nurseries in the area, and the care is still first class.
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Review from Jennifer H (Mother of Child) published on 2 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Excellent nursery, all three of my children have gone here over the years and they love it. My son is currently here and they are so good to him and help with anything he needs and teach him so well. He loves the staff and can’t wait to see them every day. I would definitely recommend this nursery to
anyone.
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Review from Paige M (Mother of Child) published on 21 October 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been going to this nursery for nearly 1 and a half and my son is coming on leaps and bound since attending. I can't thank this nursery enough for helping my son and me for all the help and support.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Care CentreThank you very much for your kind review, I will pass it on to the team.
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Review from Kaye M (Mother of Child) published on 21 October 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son is in his second and last year at play a Way and I can not be happier with the progress he has made while being there! They have helped him come along way with so many things the list is endless by far the best nursery I ever looked and I will recommend to anyone and everyone I know ??
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Review from Lydia S (Mother of Child) published on 4 October 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Since my little boy has been attending the nursery he has been thriving and learning new things every day. The staff are also outstanding and always there to help if I were to have any enquiries or additional requests for my son.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Care CentreThank you very much for your kind review. I will share this feedback with all the staff.
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Review from Hopkins A (Mother of Child) published on 1 October 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
I am very happy with the service. My boy is always happy to go nursery and the staff are very friendly and look after my boy very well, and they are very kind and friendly. The facilities are in good condition.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Care CentreThank you for your lovely feedback we are glad you are happy with his progress and the nursery. I will pass this kind feedback to the staff
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Review from Vicky G (Mother of Child) published on 9 July 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
We are really glad that our son got a place at this nursery as he is coming on so well with speech and social skills etc. He loves going every day to see his new friends and the ladies that work there. He always goes in and comes out happy so I can't ask for more than that. If I could give them a star
rating it would be 5/5.
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Review from Clair H (Aunt of Child) published on 6 July 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Very friendly well run nursery. Both my children and now my nephew goes there. Definitely recommend to anyone.
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Review from Shantel A (Mother of Child) published on 6 July 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both of my boys started at the beginning of January 2021 and the staff are perfect; very helpful and care a great deal about the kids. My oldest one has special needs and they have been great with him and are great at interacting with everyone including the parents. Very good, even sending my daughter
here in 2022.
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Review from Adam M (Father of Child) published on 5 July 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Play A Way is a great nursery, they have really great facilities and great learning. All of the staff are so friendly and helpful and are great with my son. They also off a great way to keep up to date with what my son is up to at playschool as well as how his development is going. The staff and especially
the manager are a credit to Play A Way and I would 100% recommend Play A Way to anyone who is looking for a good friendly playschool.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Care CentreThank you for your lovely review.

We really appreciate your kind words and I will share this lovely review with all of the team here at Play A Way.
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Review from Mabel B (Mother of Child) published on 5 July 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
When my son started in 2019, I was really nervous because he didn’t normally go to anyone except us. But to our surprise, he settled and had really enjoyed his time there. The nursery has really paid attention to supporting him with his speech which was an initial concern. My son has built great relationships
with his key worker who has really supported him and an outstanding relationship with the manager who has really taken care of him and made him settled. Thank you, guys.
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.918)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.918) 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 4.9 out of 5 from 21 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 21 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 4.918 for Play A Way Day Care Centre is calculated as follows: ( (226 Excellents x 5) + (18 Goods x 4) + (1 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 245 Ratings = 4.918
  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 21 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 20 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews, 0.05 Points for the next five Positive Reviews, and finally 0.025 Points for the next ten Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.050, 7th = 0.050, 8th = 0.050, 9th = 0.050, 10th = 0.050, 11th = 0.025, 12th = 0.025, 13th = 0.025, 14th = 0.025, 15th = 0.025, 16th = 0.025, 17th = 0.025, 18th = 0.025, 19th = 0.025, 20th = 0.025) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 = 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 21 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 (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.

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.