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- Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-school

they put all their heart into what they do and are extremely passionate about their rolesKemi A(Mother of Child)



they put all their heart into what they do and are extremely passionate about their rolesKemi A(Mother of Child)



Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-School is a full day care nursery situated in the Dockside Outlet Shopping Centre. The nursery has a unique, modern and fully secure rooftop garden looking out onto the picturesque Chatham Maritime Marina.
The nursery features five spacious and well equipped age-appropriate rooms ranging from babies to rising fives attended to by well qualified and experienced staff.
The Baby Room follows the home routines of younger babies,...
Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-School is a full day care nursery situated in the Dockside Outlet Shopping Centre. The nursery has a unique, modern and fully secure rooftop garden looking out onto the picturesque Chatham Maritime Marina.
The nursery features five spacious and well equipped age-appropriate rooms ranging from babies to rising fives attended to by well qualified and experienced staff.
The Baby Room follows the home routines of younger babies, providing a loving and secure environment to meet all their needs. The Toddler Room features comfy areas, exciting activities and resources positioned around safe, fun physical equipment for those children who are toddling and explore a great deal more, but still may need aspects of their home routines. Staff work as closely as possible to match home routines for babies and toddlers.
The Nursery Rooms 1 and 2 cater for intrepid two-year-olds and all the excitement that being two brings. The engaging environment encourages a wide range of skills to be learned to aid independence with cosy areas to rest.
The Pre-School Room and Rising Fives Rooms inspires three and four-year-old children to gain the literacy, maths and self-care skills ahead of the crucial time of starting primary school ready to be life long learners.
Type of Service
- Day Nursery
Opening Schedule
Open all yearFull days available
YesHalf day sessions offered
YesGroup / Owner
- Sea Shells Nursery (Dockside) Ltd
- Private Owned
Person in charge
- Hayleigh Fry (Manager)
Admission Information
- Minimum of three half day sessions or two full day sessions
Number of Childcare Staff
- 35
Total Places for Children
- 109
Age Range
- from 0 years 3 months
- to 4 years 11 months
Opening Times
- Monday07:30-18:30
- Tuesday07:30-18:30
- Wednesday07:30-18:30
- Thursday07:30-18:30
- Friday07:30-18:30
When Closed
- Bank Holidays
Parking
- Plenty of free parking for up to one hours at the Dockside Shopping Outlet car park
Funding & Fees
We don't have fee or funding details for this nursery. Contact them directly.
Contact Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-school to get a personalised quote:
Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-school Reviews (87)
Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-school has a Review Score of 9.5 (9.529) out of 10, based on 16 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-school has 87 reviews.
My daughter is under the SEN category and I couldn't praise them enough for all the hard work they have put in with my daughter. Her key workers have always strived to help her to the best of her ability. They have always supported us throughout in terms of our wishes and helping through the EHCP...
My daughter is under the SEN category and I couldn't praise them enough for all the hard work they have put in with my daughter. Her key workers have always strived to help her to the best of her ability. They have always supported us throughout in terms of our wishes and helping through the EHCP process. I would definitely recommend Dockside as a nursery!
Thank you for reviewing us, your little one is so resilient and has come so far.
Dockside Nursery is a fantastic nursery. If I could give 1000 stars for the staff and management I would. The team are very efficient and all round great. They do a lot to make the children feel comfortable and settled, keep parents informed and build the children's knowledge. My child loved it...
Dockside Nursery is a fantastic nursery. If I could give 1000 stars for the staff and management I would. The team are very efficient and all round great. They do a lot to make the children feel comfortable and settled, keep parents informed and build the children's knowledge. My child loved it there so much that on the first day of settles they wanted to stay and refused to come back to me! I also love how diverse they are. As a first-time mum they made the process of selecting childcare and returning to work seamless. They are so patient and worked with me to agree the best possible outcome. I have seen significant growth in my child's development and independence. As an added bonus their location is pretty accessible and parking isn't a hassle. I would 10/10 recommend this nursery.
Hello and thank you for your lovely review about Dockside Day Nursery and our staff team. It is a real pleasure to have your little one here. Thanks, Sharon.
My daughter has been attending the nursery for 17 months now and she loves it. The staff are amazing and genuinely love and care for the children. I cannot recommend them highly enough. My daughter is thriving and loves going to nursery.
My daughter has been attending the nursery for 17 months now and she loves it. The staff are amazing and genuinely love and care for the children. I cannot recommend them highly enough. My daughter is thriving and loves going to nursery.
Thank you so much for your great review, it has been so lovely to see her grow.
My twins have been attending Dockside nursery since September 2022, after a very nervous start due to our children being particularly anxious with separation, the team at Dockside have really gone above and beyond to make sure they are happy to go to nursery. I have seen huge strides in both my son...
My twins have been attending Dockside nursery since September 2022, after a very nervous start due to our children being particularly anxious with separation, the team at Dockside have really gone above and beyond to make sure they are happy to go to nursery. I have seen huge strides in both my son and daughter, becoming more confident in themselves as well as progressing academically and emotionally. The team members always provide thorough updates at the end of the day with my children always leaving happy. The office staff are also amazing and always happy to help or provide advice where needed. I couldn't recommend this nursery more and believe they can help any child settle happily as well as excel in their growth.
Thank you so much for your super review, the twins are doing so well and it is lovely to see.
We are very happy to have chosen this nursery for our son. All staff are exceptionally caring and committed to the well-being of the children. The activities and environment are varied, interesting and engaging and the nursery consistently keeps parents well-informed about events and the child's...
We are very happy to have chosen this nursery for our son. All staff are exceptionally caring and committed to the well-being of the children. The activities and environment are varied, interesting and engaging and the nursery consistently keeps parents well-informed about events and the child's progress - both verbally and through the app. My son has made a lot of progress in terms of his confidence, speaking and understanding as well as his social interactions and -most importantly - loves going to nursery.
Thank you for your lovely feedback, it is so nice to see how well he is developing and a great communicator.
My child has been going to Dockside since August 2021. I have had huge comfort from all with having my little one there. For me, a great thing they do is not constantly update you on what your little one is doing throughout the day. I know some parents would like to know this, but I find it...
My child has been going to Dockside since August 2021. I have had huge comfort from all with having my little one there. For me, a great thing they do is not constantly update you on what your little one is doing throughout the day. I know some parents would like to know this, but I find it positive knowing that key persons aren't spending most of their time on apps/taking photos to update you and actually spending quality time with your child. I have noticed a huge confidence in my little one since starting, she loves going in the garden, mark making, dancing etc. If I've ever had a concern, all staff go above and beyond to help us as a family. I wouldn't want my little one to be anywhere else and their outstanding Ofsted rating certainly is reflected in their work. Thank you, Dockside.
Thank you so much we appreciate your review and we are really happy you can see the value in the interactions between staff and children and the quality of care rather than being confined to tablet computers constantly. We find it is so beneficial for our staff who really know their key children and can focus their attention on the learning and development of the children.
Since I put my daughter in that nursery, they have been amazing with both me and my daughter. In the beginning, my daughter had problems settling, and we (the parents) requested a meeting to speak about our worries and concerns, and both the manager and deputy were very helpful and keen to help and...
Since I put my daughter in that nursery, they have been amazing with both me and my daughter. In the beginning, my daughter had problems settling, and we (the parents) requested a meeting to speak about our worries and concerns, and both the manager and deputy were very helpful and keen to help and listen to our concerns. They put us at ease and ensured that they would do their best to help and support my daughter in her settlement, which eventually happened. I'm very happy with this nursery and would very happily recommend it to other parents.
Thank you for supporting us with lovely feedback, and really happy the settling has gone so well.
I am extremely impressed with the nursery. I have seen changes in my boy's progress. I am regularly updated about my son's activities at the nursery, and my boy seems to really enjoy the nursery. I will recommend the nursery to my friends and relatives.
I am extremely impressed with the nursery. I have seen changes in my boy's progress. I am regularly updated about my son's activities at the nursery, and my boy seems to really enjoy the nursery. I will recommend the nursery to my friends and relatives.
Thank you so much for your review. We are really happy with how much your son is progressing.
From London, we had to choose a nursery in Medway, and after much research, we chose this nursery, trusting the reviews found on social media. We couldn't trust better. They genuinely love the children and take care of them. My son is always super happy to go, and I can see how much he is relaxed...
From London, we had to choose a nursery in Medway, and after much research, we chose this nursery, trusting the reviews found on social media. We couldn't trust better. They genuinely love the children and take care of them. My son is always super happy to go, and I can see how much he is relaxed after his day at the nursery. The communication is great, and there is a lot of respect, kindness and passion in what they do. Thank you all for your do.
Thank you so much for a great review; we appreciate your time to add this.
Amazing staff members who are always there to help no matter what! My child goes in smiling and comes out happy every time he is there. Cannot rate this nursery enough! Previously come from another nursery and definitely made the right choice!
Amazing staff members who are always there to help no matter what! My child goes in smiling and comes out happy every time he is there. Cannot rate this nursery enough! Previously come from another nursery and definitely made the right choice!
Thank you so much for your lovely review of the nursery.
I’m extremely happy with the nursery and have recommended it to a lot of friends. All the staff are so friendly and helpful and clearly have a great relationship with all the children. My daughter always has good things to say about her day and all the different activities she gets to join in with....
I’m extremely happy with the nursery and have recommended it to a lot of friends. All the staff are so friendly and helpful and clearly have a great relationship with all the children. My daughter always has good things to say about her day and all the different activities she gets to join in with. I’m regularly updated with her progress and plans for the upcoming weeks/months, based on the interests the children have expressed. It’s lovely to hear how happy my daughter is when she’s talking about her friends and teachers from nursery and it’s really reassuring knowing she’s having a great time when she’s there.
Thank you for your kind review. It has been a pleasure watching your daughter grow and develop. Thank you for your continued support over the years.
My child has complex needs and is non-verbal and the staff are lovely and were brilliant with him, adapting things within the nursery to help him, signing to him and with all the other children as well, he was always happy to go and happy at the end of the day, thank you to all at Dockside Day...
My child has complex needs and is non-verbal and the staff are lovely and were brilliant with him, adapting things within the nursery to help him, signing to him and with all the other children as well, he was always happy to go and happy at the end of the day, thank you to all at Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-school.
Kind Regards, Sharon Lucas.
The staff soon settled him in and I felt confident in...
The staff soon settled him in and I felt confident in him having excellent care straight away.
The staff always take as much time as needed to hand over and genuinely seem to show love and affection for the children.
The setting is smoothly run by the manager, keeping parents in the loop always in an honest and fair fashion.
The activities are always varied and encourage tailored learning to individual interests.
I have never had any seeds of doubt or concerns about any aspect of my son's care and have been recommending the nursery far and wide.
You won't regret trusting the kind, compassionate and caring staff to care for your little one.
Kind Regards, Sharon Lucas.
The rooms are so clean and fresh, staff are very friendly and approachable.
I was felt listened to and my kids' confidence...
The rooms are so clean and fresh, staff are very friendly and approachable.
I was felt listened to and my kids' confidence have grown since they started here.
Thank you to the manager!
Kind Regards, Sharon Lucas.
Our son started at the nursery during the beginning of the pandemic. They were amazing in how they had to quickly adapt their practices and policies to provide a safe yet nurturing environment for all the children. My son is always excited to be going to nursery and comes back happy and relaxed....
Our son started at the nursery during the beginning of the pandemic. They were amazing in how they had to quickly adapt their practices and policies to provide a safe yet nurturing environment for all the children. My son is always excited to be going to nursery and comes back happy and relaxed. Can't thank the staff and management enough for their hard work.
Thank you for your review, we really appreciate it. Thank you for your continued support.
Where do I start? My wife and I were trying to find a place for our twins to attend from the age of about 9 months and from when we had our first tour with the manager we knew we wanted to send them there and within a session, it was clear that the boys were in such a good place. Since then they...
Where do I start? My wife and I were trying to find a place for our twins to attend from the age of about 9 months and from when we had our first tour with the manager we knew we wanted to send them there and within a session, it was clear that the boys were in such a good place. Since then they have built a great relationship with their key worker and the team in the baby/toddler room and they get such amazing support in their development. The use of the app means that we see what they get up to with observations and reviews of their progress which are conducted with brilliant thought and detail. We could not speak highly enough of this nursery and strongly recommend this to your little ones.
Thank you for such a lovely review. It is a great reflection of the hard work our staff put in to support the care and development of the children.
Sharon Lucas
Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-school was such an amazing place, my son loved going here for two and a half years, he made loads of friends and the staff were so welcoming and friendly, I would definitely recommend to family and friends.
Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-school was such an amazing place, my son loved going here for two and a half years, he made loads of friends and the staff were so welcoming and friendly, I would definitely recommend to family and friends.
Thank you for your lovely review, we have had a great two and a half years with him and it was great to see his first day at primary school pictures.
Sharon Lucas
I'm so happy to have chosen this nursery. It fits my son's needs just perfectly. All the staff is amazing and well qualified, always there to help and ready to answer all your questions and concerns. I highly recommend.
I'm so happy to have chosen this nursery. It fits my son's needs just perfectly. All the staff is amazing and well qualified, always there to help and ready to answer all your questions and concerns. I highly recommend.
Thank you so much, we are really pleased you are happy with the care and provision. Thank you.
My son joined Dockside at a year old. It was the only nursery we looked at and was fairly new to opening. We immediately loved it. Although hesitant at leaving him, we all quickly adapted. Now he’s been going for a year and a half. He runs to the staff and gives them great big hugs, I merely get a...
My son joined Dockside at a year old. It was the only nursery we looked at and was fairly new to opening. We immediately loved it. Although hesitant at leaving him, we all quickly adapted. Now he’s been going for a year and a half. He runs to the staff and gives them great big hugs, I merely get a wave over his shoulder. We couldn’t have asked for a better place. Clean, great facilities, lots and lots to do every day. Regular detailed progress reports and newsletters. Themed days (book week, Halloween, Christmas, etc.). Lots of messy play, stories, games. Watching his development amazes us as he comes out with things we haven’t taught him. He’s counting at just over 2 years of age and his speech and communication is really progressing. We’ve found the price reasonable for the hours he attends. He always has a good variety of food, with plenty of fruit and vegetables. It’s just a shame he’ll have to leave at 4!
Thank you for a lovely detailed and complimentary review. We really enjoy watching his development. They do not stay small for long.
This is a lovely nursery. The standards are excellent and all members of staff have been wonderful. I loved it from the first time I visited. You can tell that they put all their heart into what they do and are extremely passionate about their roles. The facilities for the children are also very...
Thank you very much for all you do.
Thank you so much for taking the time to give us a wonderful review.
Child Vacancies
Please contact us for latest vacancies.
News (0) & Events (0)
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Awards / Recognitions (1)
- 12 Apr 2022Recipient: Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-school
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-school.
Meet the Team (1)

We’d love to welcome you to our Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-School! Come and explore our friendly nursery at the Dockside Outlet Shopping Centre,...
We’d love to welcome you to our Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-School! Come and explore our friendly nursery at the Dockside Outlet Shopping Centre, meet our caring and experienced team, and see our fantastic learning spaces in action.
Take a tour of our unique, fully secure rooftop garden with beautiful views over Chatham Maritime Marina and discover how we help children learn, play, and thrive every day.
We can’t wait to meet you and your family!
Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-school to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Dockside Day Nursery and Pre-school has an Enhanced Service -what an Enhanced Service includes.