Play A Way Day Nursery

37 Stuart Road, Gillingham ME7 4AD
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9.9 43 Reviews
  • Play A Way Day Nursery, Gillingham
The Play-a-Way Day nursery is the third setting in Gillingham from this provider (Play A Way Nurseries Ltd) and opened their doors for children in May 2022. This new nursery is conveniently located in a residential area at 37 Stuart Road. Play-a-Way Day Nursery is operating from the same premises Strawberry Fields Day Nursery operated for many years.

The brand new nursery at Stuart Road provides a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment for children aged 3 months to 5 years old. All children have access to the well-equipped secure outdoor play area.
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Jemma Hepburn (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 10

Total Places for Children

  • 42

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • 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

  • Bank Holidays & 1 week at Christmas

Play A Way Day Nursery Reviews (43)

9.9

Play A Way Day Nursery has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.932) out of 10, based on 21 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Play A Way Day Nursery has 43 reviews.

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Reviewer Connection to Play A Way Day Nursery
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Total of 43, showing 21-40
Review from Chikanso A (Mother of Child) published on 6 December 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter loves going to the nursery. Amazing teachers, with a beautiful learning and safe environment mixed with fun. She has learnt a lot of new things and her manners are great. I will definitely recommend Play A Way Nursery.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you for the lovely review. We are glad your daughter is progressing well with us.
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Review from Claire H (Mother of Child) published on 21 November 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Great nursery, really helped with my daughter's extra needs and helped with getting her the help she needs, ie send special needs.
They really have made progress with my daughter and I'm very grateful for all they do as she can be very challenging and they have done this with patience and professionalism.
I would 100% recommend this nursery whether you have a special needs child or not, my eldest used to go them too and she was always so happy and never wanted to leave.
My youngest daughter loves the outside play area and it's perfect for her, and the sensory room also they are always trying their best to cater for my daughter's needs, to ensure it's a happy safe and enjoyable environment.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you for your lovely review. We are glad you love the provision we provide.
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Review from F N (Mother of Child) published on 21 November 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter transitioned to Play A Way in April 2023 at the age of 3 from a nursery she had previously been at since 9 months old. The transition worked really well. She settled in perfectly with the help of the settling-in sessions and the helpful and friendly team. She loves attending and never complains
about going.
The snippets of her day on the app are a welcomed sight.
The staff at Play A Way work long days and should be commended on their continued hard work to provide care for our children.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you for your lovely review. We are glad your daughter has settled in well with us and enjoying her time at nursery.
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Review from S I (Mother of Child) published on 15 November 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Great team, they look after my kids like their own. All my kids are very happy from the minute I drop them off till the time I pick them up. Just a top nursery with great staff all around. A big thank you to the manager and all the staff- we appreciate you all wholeheartedly. Thank you all!
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you for the lovely review. We are glad they all love their time in nursery.
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Review from Emily B (Mother of Child) published on 1 November 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been attending Play A Way Day Nursery since January 2023. She was 16 months at the time and has thrived. The staff are wonderful and very accommodating. They’re also very understanding regarding allergies. My daughter has an egg allergy, and they’re so supportive. The manager of this
nursery is what makes this nursery outstanding! I’ve recommended Play A Way Day Nursery to several of my friends whose children now attend.
I can not find fault with this nursery and its outstanding team.
Thank you.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you so much for your lovely review. We are so glad you are happy with our nursery.
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Review from Tom W (Father of Child) published on 30 October 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Top nursery - really look after the kids as I suspect they would their own. Regular updates on progress and activities at the nursery. Well-fed and watered. Works perfectly for us as a family, and he gets the social interaction he needs for his development.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you so much for the lovely review. We love having your son here with us and helping him meet his developmental milestones.
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Review from Sam F (Mother of Child) published on 30 October 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Play A Way Stuart Road is a real home away from home. We moved our child from a much larger nursery and have found that she has thrived in this smaller setting. There have been many improvements to the interior since their takeover.
The carers here know my child well and remember details about my
family. We feel a part of the nursery. I feel that they have a great understanding of my child’s temperament and are warm, friendly and engaging. My daughter often draws pictures for the staff to take to the nursery, which shows me how much she adores them.
Communication here is very good. Staff are upfront about changes that will affect parents and communicate with them in good time to give us sufficient notice. I feel listened to, and I cannot fault the manager, who I know will go the extra mile!
The outside area is well-resourced with a lovely mature Cherry tree. There is lots to do at Play A Way, and I’m confident that we have made the right choice for our daughter.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you so much for the lovely review. We are glad your daughter is thriving here with us.
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Review from L S (Mother of Child) published on 30 October 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little one has been going to this nursery for just a little under a year, and the experience I have had has been amazing. Very friendly, welcoming and caring for their children. Every day, my child comes out with a big grin on his face telling me all the fun he has had that day. And to see his relationship
with the workers there is always positive as he adores them so much. Making me, as a Mum, very, very comfortable leaving him in their care. I find the prices are extremely reasonable and have been very supportive with also taking my older child to school for me on the days needed and, again, I feel very comfortable allowing them to do this as he is also always smiling and tells me positive things about his time there.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you so much for your lovely review. We are very glad both children feel happy whilst they are here. It's a pleasure having them.
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Review from L S (Mother of Child) published on 9 November 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our little boy has been going there for the past three months. I was initially very anxious about him starting nursery at 1 year old but the place itself, the staff and the manager gave me reassurance and confidence. I am really pleased I chose this nursery.
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Review from Lucy M (Mother of Child) published on 8 November 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I cannot praise this nursery enough, kind, caring, professional, educationally excellent, clean, polite and nutritional, what more can I say, just brilliant!
My daughter has become so much more confident and her vocabulary has developed greatly. The app they use is fantastic as you can see your child's
personal learning and development. Really happy, highly recommended.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you so much for your kind words. We have seen such a difference in your daughter since she first started and it's been amazing to watch her grow in her confidence whilst with us.
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Review from Sadiq A (Father of Child) published on 8 November 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Play A Way is an amazing place for kids. Many thanks from the heart for all your hard work, love, dedication, and patience with the children.
One of the best nurseries in this area. The staff is superb at handling the kids. My son loves this place and doesn't want to miss any day. I would highly recommend
Play A Way to anyone looking for a nursery in the area and I feel very lucky to have found such a wonderful and happy environment for my son. Thank you so much.
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Review from Lulu N (Mother of Child) published on 8 November 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Very friendly and welcoming staff, and child-friendly environment.
My daughter loves it there and always looks forward to going on her scheduled days. They always give updates on what activities my child has undertaken during each session. My daughter has definitely developed her social skills since
starting at the nursery in August 2022 and I can't thank the nursery enough. Thank you.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you for your lovely review. We are glad your daughter enjoys her time in nursery and we have seen a great difference in her social skills since she started with us.
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Review from Jessica M (Mother of Child) published on 8 November 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has enjoyed going to the new nursery she gets on well with the teachers and other children. Always goes in happy and comes out very happy after playing. I'm able to follow her progress on their app and everything seems to be fine and in order. All In all, she seems to be doing well.
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Review from Melaya K (Mother of Child) published on 30 October 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
An absolute amazing nursery. My 3 year old son who started there in September 2022 has quickly grown with the staff and the children and he has become a lot more confident in himself being away from us. The staff are ever so lovely, welcoming and understanding and the manager is always so helpful with
my queries. My son looks forward to going to nursery and it took him just over two weeks to settle in and I couldn't be more thankful to the staff. It's such a wonderful place and the manager always lets me know via email how he is doing if I ask and the staff always inform you of how he got on when picking my son up.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you so much for your lovely review. We have loved watching your son grow in confidence since he has joined us and glad he is enjoying his time at nursery.
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Review from Carly B (Mother of Child) published on 18 October 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son absolutely loves going to the nursery and all the staff are lovely. They always let me know how he has been at nursery and they are very friendly. The nursery has good facilities and the staff are always happy to answer any questions you might have.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you very much for your lovely review. We are glad you enjoy our service and your son enjoys being here with us.
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Review from carla p (Mother of Child) published on 18 October 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The team are amazing! My baby girl is 18 months old, she feels so confident with them and happy of course. Since she started nursery, she became more social and learned stuff so quick. Thanks so much for looking after her!
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Review from Bertha F (Mother of Child) published on 24 August 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
An amazing nursery for my son. He is more interactive now at home. Learning every day and asking a lot of questions to know more. A week after enrolling, he was saying "thank you, mummy," and that just humbles me. He is always looking forward to going to nursery every day even though he has to get up
early. This is the best nursery for every child.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you for the lovely review. We are glad you are happy with your sons progress since being with us. We noticed to he is speaking a lot more and loves being here.
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Review from C A (Mother of Child) published on 23 August 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little girl started at play away on the 6th July and instantly I felt at ease with leaving her at the nursery. All of the staff seem absolutely lovely and they always go to extra measures to tell us about her day with a great handover. The manager has been more than helpful with answering any of
my questions and also helping us anyway she can when we have asked her.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you for the lovely review. We are more than happy to help in any way possible.
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Review from S F (Mother of Child) published on 23 August 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My review goes back a good few years my monsters are still going to play away nursery and the experience for them and for me is fantastic, lovely atmosphere and wonderful staff and my little people love being there.
Reply from Jemma Hepburn, Manager at Play A Way Day Nursery
Thank you so much for the lovely review. We have loved looking after and watching all of your children grow during their time with us.
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Review from L A (Mother of Child) published on 21 August 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both of my children have flourished at this nursery. The facilities are very nice and the staff are wonderful. The children look forward to attending and are always disappointed when they have to have a break for the holidays.
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.932)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.932) out of 10 for Play A Way Day Nursery 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 4.932 for Play A Way Day Nursery is calculated as follows: ( (234 Excellents x 5) + (17 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 251 Ratings = 4.932
  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 Nursery 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 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 42 number of registered child places is 8.4, 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 (0)

Meet the Team (1)

Jemma

Jemma Hepburn

Job Title: Nursery Manager/SENCO/DSL Joined: 2017

Hi, my name is Jemma.


I have been a part of the Play-a-Way family for 18 years, and I have enjoyed every second of it. I have had the joy of teaching and watching a lot of children during this time, and have had the pleasure of looking after a lot of siblings, too.


I completed my BA (Hons) degree in Early Childcare and Education, and I have been a manager for nearly 8 years. I have recently finished my level 3 SENCO training and enjoy helping the staff to support and plan activities for all children.


I took the challenge of starting this nursery when we opened in 2022 and have loved watching it grow and flourish. I look forward to meeting you in the future and providing a fun, welcoming and homely nursery for your 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 Nursery to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Play A Way Day Nursery has an Enhanced Service - more info.