Play A Way Activity Centre

St Andrew's Church Hall, Christmas Street, Gillingham ME7 1TD
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9.9 101 Reviews
  • Play A Way Activity Centre, Gillingham
Play A Way Activity Centre, in Gillingham, is a fifty capacity nursery with an excellent community reputation, offering parents an open and honest service while their child is able to learn and develop in a healthy and secure atmosphere.

The facility is well-resourced for age-specific learning, looking to prepare each child well for the challenges of full-time education. They offer Day Nursery, After School Clubs and Holiday Club for all 3 months - 11 years old children.
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Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Erica Edwards (Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 18

Total Places for Children

  • 50

Age Range

  • from 0 years 3 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: 07:00/07:30am-6:00pm - £67.50.
    Half Day: 07:00/07:30am–12:30pm or 12:30–6:00 pm - £42.00.
    Full week: 5 Full days – (Mon–Fri) - £315.00.
    Additional Hour - £10.50.


    School Age Fees-
    Breakfast club - £7.00.
    After school club - £14.00.
    Holiday club Core session 8.30am -3.30pm - £30.00.
    Holiday club Full Day 7.00am - 6.00pm - £35.00.

  • Available on request

Opening Times

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

When Closed

  • Christmas

Play A Way Activity Centre Reviews (101)

9.9

Play A Way Activity Centre has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.907) out of 10, based on 23 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Play A Way Activity Centre has 101 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Date Published
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Reviewer Connection to Play A Way Activity Centre
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Total of 101, showing 81-100
Review from Katie H (Mother of Child) published on 18 February 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both my children come to Play A Way, they love it here and I feel 100% confident leaving them each day knowing they are going to have a great day filled with different activities. Both my children have gone through fazes of not wanting me to leave like most children, but the staff have acted on this
brilliantly and shown great confidence in making sure my children are cared for in the right way. I would recommend this nursery to anyone. My son is in his last year here now and I'm sure he will greatly miss going.
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Review from N D (Father of Child) published on 17 January 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been going to Play A Way Activity Centre since September 2019. He enjoys going there. He has made new friends at the nursery. Before going to nursery the never shared his toys, since starting the nursery he has learned how to share things and has improved his communication skills and confidence
in learning things. The staff are brilliant, helpful, friendly and kind. The nursery is clean and full of varied toys needed for all types of learning. We recommend this nursery to our friends.
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Review from Lisa W (Mother of Child) published on 18 March 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter started here in February 2018. She loves going to nursery. In my opinion, this is the best nursery in the area. All of the staff are fantastic with the children. You can always talk to them if you have any concerns. They will go above and beyond to help. They have an amazing garden, which
my daughter loves playing in. Since she has started there, she has learnt so much. They helped her with her potty training. I cannot fault this nursery in any way. When my son is old enough, he will be going to this nursery. That will be 3 of my children who have gone to this nursery. I will give this place a 5-star rating every day of the week. Thank you to everyone who works there.
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Review from Shazia A (Mother of Child) published on 29 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter started here in September and absolutely loves coming here, all staff are so friendly and extremely caring, they are like an extended family for her. She has picked up so much in such a short time and I couldn’t be happier. Highly recommend!
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Review from Jess B (Mother of Child) published on 31 October 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Play A Way Activity Centre has been extremely accommodating of my son's needs.
They are very approachable and the staff there are so welcoming and knowledgeable.
My son has additional needs and these do not phase the staff at all.
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Review from Cherie Y (Mother of Child) published on 15 May 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been coming to nursery since Septemeber 2016. I've always wanted somewhere that tells you what your child has done today. I also wanted my child to come home dirty i.e (paints, sticky stuff) anything that showed my child had a fun filled day and this is what I got. The staff are brilliant,
friendly and always makes time for every child. Healthy snacks are available with a selection which is good as my child is so fussy.
I wouldn't put my child in a different nursery and I will continue to use them with every child I have. Fantastic Place.
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Review from Valerie Z (Mother of Child) published on 5 April 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Good nursery, staff are very friendly, children are well cared for and looked after.
Good learning activities and follows the curriculum.
Reply from Carol Vigus, Owner at Play A Way Activity Centre
Thank you for the review.
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Review from Gemma B (Mother of Child) published on 21 March 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My older son attended play away Christmas street and loved it. Hence why I chose to send my 2nd son there and he also loved it. However, with my second son, he has development delays which were evident and the nursery were kind, supportive and willing to learn new ways as well as using their experience
with additional needs children to help him develop. A great place for both my boys to spend their early years. I am so glad I chose play always.
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Review from Claire A (Mother of Child) published on 6 March 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have two children that attend this nursery. My son goes to breakfast club and walking bus to school. My daughter is full-time daycare at this nursery. Play-A-Way is such a fantastic nursery and would highly recommend to anyone. My children are happy and well looked after. The staff are amazing and
have been such a support to all of us as a family.
Both my children are learning and growing in confidence by the day. I can go to work confident that my children are in good hands. They both also attend holiday club and both love this and the activities that are put on.
Reply from Carol Vigus, Owner at Play A Way Activity Centre
Thank you for your comments.
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Review from Elin C (Mother of Child) published on 6 March 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic nursery, wonderful supportive staff. Approachable and willing to help and be available whenever you need.
So good with children with extra needs.
Cant fault Christmas Street! My boys literally run through the door.
Reply from Carol Vigus, Owner at Play A Way Activity Centre
Thank you for your review.
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Review from Bethan M (Mother of Child) published on 27 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This is by far the best nursery both my children have attended and also my nephew. All the children have a fantastic day filled with so many activities for them to do. The staff are always welcoming and very kind, they always consider each child’s needs and make the separation between parents and their
children much more relaxing knowing our children are in safe hands. Being a student my timetables have changed from time to time and the staff have always been extremely helpful in helping my children’s care be as flexible as I needed previously. Fantastic nursery.
Reply from Carol Vigus, owner at Play A Way Activity Centre
Thank you.
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Review from Poppy B (Mother of Child) published on 26 February 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Absolutely love Play-A-Way nursery and so does my son. The staff are always so welcoming and always talk about the children so fondly. They have been great with steps like potty training and do their utmost to adapt to parents and the children's different needs. I recently moved and the nursery is no
longer as convenient to get to. However, I would not move my child to a closer nursery as he is so well settled and cared for at Play-A-Way nursery in Gillingham.
Reply from Carol Vigus, Owner at Play A Way Activity Centre
Thank you, it's great you stayed with us.
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Review from Philippa A (Mother of Child) published on 26 February 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Both my children attend Play-A-Way nursery on Christmas Street in Gillingham. I feel exceptionally happy with how my youngest is doing in the baby room as the staff are always very attentive and always very attentive and always give thorough handovers to me when picking him up. My eldest is in the preschool
room and although I am confident he is always safe and generally happy there I would prefer it if the staff could take the time to let me know how he gets on each day, although I understand they are busy.
Reply from Carol Vigus, Owner at Play A Way Activity Centre
Please ask your child's key person when you collect, the staff are always happy to give you some feedback on how your child has been.
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Review from Canny M (Mother of Child) published on 26 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Both of my children went to this nursery and I’m very happy with them, when my firstborn was there (years ago), he had just transferred from a local nursery to Play-A-Way as requested by us his parents. He wasn’t doing very well with his previous nursery as they didn’t take time to get to know him at
all and as parents, we had lots of concern regarding his wellbeing so we made the right decision after speaking with the manager and transferred him and our boys adjusted well with Play-A-Way.
Now my second child is there and I’m really happy with his adjustment and well-being só definitely recommending this nursery to other parents.
Reply from Carol Vigus, Owner at Play A Way Activity Centre
Thank you for the review.
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Review from Jade N (Mother of Child) published on 22 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The nursery settled my daughter in just a few sessions. She’s of toddler age. I felt comfortable leaving her there, whereas I did not feel this in other nurseries I looked at. They are reassuring and happy for me to call to check in on her. They have managed to get to her to eat more variety of foods
that she will at home. She is always happy when I leave her and collect her (unless she is tired!). Staff are great with her & me. Their security for collecting the children is great. All in all, it’s a fab nursery and I’d happily recommend them to others.
Reply from Carol Vigus, Owner at Play A Way Activity Centre
Thank you for the lovely review.
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Review from Craig M (Father of Child) published on 22 February 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son started at Play-A-Way in November 2017. Play-A-Way was welcoming in all areas explaining policies and protocols.
We chose Play-A-Way nursery as it was presentable inside. All staff seemed happy and approachable.
The outside space is a little smaller than I would like, however, staff have used
it to it's best potential. Well done.
Reply from Carol Vigus, Owner at Play A Way Activity Centre
Thank you for this review from all the staff.
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Review from Charlotte B (Mother of Child) published on 19 February 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I was a new mum in 2016 and the thought of returning to work was very worrying. I looked at many nurseries and found that none of them matched how I felt when I visited Play-A-Way Activity Centre.
My daughter is treated like their own she is so happy here and it then makes me feel at ease whilst at
work. My daughter has learnt so much more being here and is growing into a lovely little girl. The staff listen to concerns, family problems and you are welcomed in every way.
They have introduced her to so many new experiences something I was worried she would miss out on as I had to go back to work I can't thank the staff enough for what they do here and will continue her learning right here until school age. Play-A-Way Activity Centre is Brilliant.
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Review from Oonagh M (Mother of Child) published on 11 August 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Not being from Medway, I was originally worried about where to send my first child and thankfully Play-A-Way was recommended to me by a parent. The carers are very friendly and welcoming. My daughter is in the toddler room and my son is in the baby room. All members of staff are helpful and accommodating
and I feel they often go beyond their call of duty for all parents. Putting your children's care and well-being in the care of someone else is a daunting experience and I find it difficult trusting someone 100% however, this has never been an issue at Play-A-Way. I'm always kept well informed of both my daughter's and son's behaviour and progress. Daily activities, sleeping times, eating habits and any other issues are always communicated clearly and dealt with on a daily basis. The carers at the nursery are always happy to offer advice and answer questions. Both my son and daughter love spending their days here and it makes my day a lot easier knowing that they are in a safe environment and in excellent hands.
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Review from Nicola D (Mother of Child) published on 12 April 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been going here since she was 1 years old, she is now 4 and I have never had a problem. Will continue to use them when she goes to school in September for after school club and holiday club.
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Review from Ivan D (Father of Child) published on 7 April 2016 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Overall, we are very happy with Play-A-Way Nursery and the progress our daughter has made. There have been great improvements in our daughter's understanding, language development and general development since starting nursery. Staff deserve 10 stars! xxx
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.907)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.907) out of 10 for Play A Way Activity 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 23 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 23 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 4.907 for Play A Way Activity Centre is calculated as follows: ( (246 Excellents x 5) + (21 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 269 Ratings = 4.907
  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 Activity Centre is based on 23 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 50 number of registered child places is 10, which has been reached with 23 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 (0)

Meet the Team (1)

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Erica Edwards

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2009

Erica started her journey with Play-a-Way as a volunteer in June 2009 and has worked her way up to become the Nursery Manager. Erica holds a Level 3 Diploma in Children and Young People’s workforce and Level 3 NVQ in Management.

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