Little Explorers

A nurturing and creative environment where every child feels safe, valued, and inspired to learn through play

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206C Maidstone Rd, Rochester, ME1 3EJ

Mon - Fri: 08:00 - 18:00

Age: 0 - 60 months

Fee table

Little Explorers

Little Explorers Day Nursery & Preschool is an OFSTED OUTSTANDING (2020) nursery in Rochester, on Maidstone Road next to Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School. Our nursery offers quality care and education for children aged 3 months to 5 years, following the Early Years Foundation Stage alongside our own curriculum that values every child and promotes respect, self-discipline and good manners. Our caring, experienced team places children's welfare and wellbeing at the heart of everything, creating a true "second home".
Indoors, children learn in our safe, stimulating rooms designed to build confidence, independence and strong social skills. Activities may include imaginative play, early problem-solving, creative experiences and age-appropriate group times that support communication and friendships.
Outdoors, our inspirational learning experiences continue where children can explore, investigate and enjoy fresh air in secure play spaces. These environments help build strong foundations for future education and understanding.
Our team works closely with parents, believing that behind every happy child is a happy parent. Families receive regular feedback on progress and nursery life, helping everyone feel reassured and involved.
Could Little Explorers be the right Outstanding start for your child in Rochester? Book a visit and see our nursery and gardens.

Nursery Facilities

Discover the facilities available at our nursery and how they support your child's care, learning, and development.

Onsite Parking

Convenient parking on site so you can drop off and collect your child without the stress of finding a space nearby.

Our Nursery Fees

We understand how important it is to have a clear picture of the costs associated with your child's care. Our fee sheet is designed to be transparent and straightforward, so please click below and take your time to look through it.

You can also learn more about fees and funding options on our dedicated pages Fees and funding page

If you have any questions at all, please do get in touch. We are always happy to talk things through with you.

Our Fees

Nutritional Approach

We believe food is fundamental to healthy growth, happy minds, and positive lifelong habits. In the earliest years, what children eat shapes taste preferences, supports brain development, and lays the foundations for long-term health.

All meals are freshly prepared on site each day using quality, seasonal ingredients. Our menus are developed with expert guidance, designed for inclusion, and go beyond Early Years Foundation Stage requirements. We want every child to become a confident, curious eater.

Our Menu

Meet Our Nursery Manager

Charlotte Stephenson

Hello, I'm Charlotte, also known as Char-Char to the children and staff. I joined Little Explorers in 2016 and have worked in childcare for around 15 years, starting as an unqualified member of staff in a large setting.

Childcare is my passion, and I decided I wanted to know everything I could to make sure every child in my care got the best start in their educational journey. I completed a degree in Early Childhood Studies and then completed my Early Years Teacher training. I started working at Little Explorers as a university student and have never left.

It's a small, family-feel nursery and the team is amazing. I am lucky to be part of the team and am proud to see so many children grow, develop and thrive.

What to Expect on Your Nursery Tour

Our Next Open Day

Meet our friendly team

Learn about our curriculum

Explore funding options

Explore our rooms and areas

Our Commitments

Our curriculum is built around five core commitments that guide how we nurture every child.

Critical And Creative Thinkers

Nurturing curiosity and confidence to imagine, test ideas, and solve problems through exploration.

Sense of Belonging

Building secure, trusting relationships so every child feels safe, valued, and confident.

Explorers of Our World

Connecting children to nature through outdoor experiences that build resilience and independence.

Confident Communicators

Supporting every child to express themselves in ways that are meaningful to them.

Happy and Healthy

Encouraging physical activity, healthy eating, and joyful experiences that support lifelong wellbeing.

Our Curriculum

Our curriculum is built around six interconnected strands: Little Independent Explorers, Little Artists, Little Engineers, Little Humanitarians, Little Mathematicians and the overarching Little Explorers ethos. Inspired by approaches including Te Whāriki, the Curiosity Approach, Reggio Emilia and Montessori, we focus not just on what children learn but how they learn.

Independence is nurtured from the baby room onwards, with children progressively developing skills such as self-care, decision-making and confidence. Creativity is celebrated through art, music and dance from around the world, with children encouraged to lead their own creations rather than follow predetermined outcomes. Problem-solving and resilience are fostered through hands-on challenges, real-life tools and activities that stretch and stimulate curious minds.

We believe children need to experience compassion to understand it, so kindness, respect and care for others and the environment are woven throughout. Early maths is introduced naturally through play, routines and exploration, building confidence without pressure. Our goal is for every child to leave feeling joyful, confident and well prepared for their next adventure.

What Parents Say About Us

9.8

Review Score for Review Score for Family First Day Nursery

20 reviews

January 28, 2026

Review of Little Explorers

We've had a really positive experience with this nursery. The staff are kind, caring and genuinely attentive to the children. My child is happy, settled and clearly well looked after. Communication is good and the environment feels safe and nurturing. We're very pleased with the care provided and would happily recommend it to other parents. Big shout out to Sam, Kira, Sophie and Vicky. My child loves them!

Emma S

January 27, 2026

Review of Little Explorers

The team take the time to get to know each child and tailor their approach to their needs. They focus on fun and learning and make sure the children are school ready in the pre school room. They love them like they are their own

Laura A

July 31, 2025

Review of Little Explorers

I moved my son to this nursery after an unsettling environment at his last nursery and he has been welcomed with kindness from all the staff. You know your child loves nursery when they go in with a smile and a big wave - emotions he never displayed at his old nursery. Within a week of my son being here, his communication has seen a massive leap which is due to the staff positively engaging with the children. This places costs a little more than local nurseries, but well worth it to know your child is being looked after well.

L M

July 28, 2025

Review of Little Explorers

My child enjoys going to nursery, since being at Little Explorers we never have tears about going in, which speaks volumes to me. They are very good at posting Daily Dairies and Observations. It's really lovely to see how he is progressing while he is there. The staff all seem caring and professional and look after the children well, knowing their little personalities and support them to reach their goals.

Rebecca R

July 27, 2025

Review of Little Explorers

We couldn't be happier with our experience at Little Explorers! Our child started in the baby room at just 10 months old and spent 3.5 wonderful years growing, learning, and thriving there. From day one, the staff showed genuine warmth, professionalism, and care. What truly sets this nursery apart are the outstanding teachers and management. They took the time to understand our child's personality and needs, and always created a safe, loving, and stimulating environment.Over the years, we watched our child develop confidence, social skills, and a real love for learning-all thanks to the thoughtful guidance and encouragement of the teaching team. It's so much more than a nursery-it's a community that truly supports both children and parents.

J J

July 26, 2025

Review of Little Explorers

We are so grateful for the wonderful experience our child has had. From the very beginning, the staff have shown such warmth, professionalism, and genuine care. It's been amazing to watch our child grow in confidence, curiosity, and independence during their time here.The nurturing environment has made every drop-off easy, knowing they were in safe, loving hands.The team go above and beyond to make each child feel valued, heard, and encouraged. Whether through creative play, outdoor learning, or early literacy and numeracy activities, every day has been engaging and enriching.Communication has always been excellent, with regular updates, photos, and support that have made us feel truly involved in our child's development. We've especially appreciated how individual needs are respected, and how positive relationships have been built not only with the children, but with families too.Saying goodbye is emotional, but we leave with such fond memories and immense gratitude. Thankyou!!

C B

June 21, 2025

Review of Little Explorers

Little explorers have been amazing ever since my little boy started in the baby room. They know my child well his likes, dislikes, comforters etc. they have changed his key person accordingly when he appeared to bond better with different members of staff, which truly shows they always have his best interests at the heart of their care. More recently he has been toilet training. All the staff at little explorers have been great, helpful and understanding as he still quite young but showed a great interest. They took the challenge on with me and he's mastered in just a short space of Time, with constant encouragement, reassurance, praise and many toilet trips. I am so grateful as this wouldn't have been Possible without them. My son is now is toddler Room and is continuing to thrive thanks to all their hard work, dedication, love and care they show each and everyone of the children. It's a beautiful nursery and I feel more than happy when I drop him off in the mornings.

J B

March 25, 2025

Review of Little Explorers

This nursery is a refreshing change from large, corporate-style nurseries. It has a warm, family-like atmosphere, thanks to its dedicated, long-standing staff. The team consistently goes above and beyond, making me feel heard, valued, and never rushed when discussing my child's needs. My daughter is currently in the toddler room with a member of staff, who was also at the nursery when my now eight-year-old attended. She is an incredible asset to the team, always making me feel that she is just as invested in my child's happiness and development as I am. My daughter absolutely adores her and all the other staff. The nursery's managers work tirelessly to create an environment where children can be happy and thrive. Despite them being busy, they always take the time to talk with both me and my daughter. This nursery has given my sons a strong foundation for school, and I have no doubt it will do the same for my daughter. I couldn't be happier with the care and support they provide.

H D

September 25, 2024

Review of Little Explorers

Excellent, attentive, great early feedback. In the short time our daughter has been there she has really flourished. They have made great efforts to get to know her and adapted their care for her.

T B

September 25, 2024

Review of Little Explorers

The team at Little Explorers are just so wonderful! They have always gone above and beyond to support and develop our little one. They are very knowledgeable and experienced. They have a wonderful rapport with the children which reassured us from day one. They are by far the best nursery we have sent our daughter to and greatly deserve the 'Outstanding' grading from Ofsted. Thank you!

K P

September 12, 2024

Review of Little Explorers

Little Explorers has genuinely been a revelation for both of my children. They love it and thrive there - this is down to the incredibly hard-working, nurturing staff. They make miracles happen everyday.

D W

April 19, 2024

Review of Little Explorers

We found Little Explorers after a false start with another nursery. From day one, it's been an exceptional experience all around. The induction was brilliant, my son was happy and I was left feeling confident that he would be safe and well cared for. The senior staff know all the children by name and are happy to stop and have a chat and I love that so many staff across all the rooms are involved in the children's care. My son is quite full-on for his age and I've appreciated the ongoing conversation with the team about ways to manage various behaviours. His social skills, motor skills, problem-solving and communication have all developed noticeably as a result of the support he has had at Little Explorers. The team have gone out of their way to accommodate us when I've needed additional hours at short notice (they can't always do this, but have been very helpful). We are absolutely delighted to have found Little Explorers and consider ourselves very lucky to have a place here.

Hannah C

February 29, 2024

Review of Little Explorers

My grandson has been here for just under a year now and the changes are so positive. He is thriving in all areas and is extremely happy here. He looks forward to seeing his friends and staff alike. The staff have always been so caring and supportive throughout a really tough time in my grandson's life as well as teaching him and communicating with myself in all areas. I always get updates on the app about what he has eaten or been participating in. I am fully aware of any events planned through this too, meaning I can plan around work in plenty of time. Being at Little Explorers is like having extended family and they are all such a big part of my grandson's life. The nursery managers really care about each and every child and they go over and beyond to make sure they are happy in their setting. I would recommend Little Explorers 100%.

L G

January 10, 2024

Review of Little Explorers

Excellent nursery in every way. Play areas are well equipped, staff are friendly and know all about my child. At the end of each update we get a digital update with developmental observations tracked. Our child is very happy there.

L S

September 15, 2022

Review of Little Explorers

Outstanding nursery. A wonderful family feel, both of my daughters flourished here. The team made great headway with their development and ensured they were nurtured in a caring environment. Would highly recommend.

Sharan D

August 30, 2022

Review of Little Explorers

Amazing nursery. My husband and I have been so happy with the staff, great facilities and excellent care for my child. My boy is so happy there. I cannot recommend you enough. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming.

L L

August 27, 2022

Review of Little Explorers

Our previous reviews for this nursery have always been exceptionally positive, with little or no cause for suggestions for improvement. Sadly, since the new ownership we feel there has been a significant drop in the quality of administrative communication from the office - i.e. numerous emails not being responded to. We were also not informed that our child was being introduced to pre-school and only found out weeks later. Also, not having a sports day, particularly after such a difficult couple of years and missing out on so much already, simply because the staff have too much admin work to do now is unacceptable. Despite the many negatives now, we feel the practitioners continue to be hard-working, committed and interested in the development of our child. We also previously really liked the app and being able to share photographs and experiences of our child that the practitioners showed an interest in. This has never been suggested or encouraged since the change.

Aaron S

August 26, 2022

Review of Little Explorers

My son has been at Little Explorers for over a year now and he has been very happy there. I have found the staff to be wonderful, energetic, friendly and very accommodating. They have worked well with me on any special requests that we may be working on at home. And offer me great support and advice when I have asked. My son has thrived there and I think there is a great balance of learning and playing and especially playing outside. I love the little extras that happen there, like Christmas concerts, sports days and Easter parade. I don't know many other nursery's that do that. It makes the parents feel included and great that the kids have a big group project to work on. I can tell that he feels very loved at school, and I trust the teachers completely. I will be very sad to be moving on to big school later this year.

J P

August 26, 2022

Review of Little Explorers

Our daughter absolutely loves attending the nursery. In the mornings she literally runs from the gate towards the nursery staff. The entire staff is extremely attentive, caring and polite. They always provide us with a detailed overview of our little one's day. I am amazed by the various structured, interesting and educational activities they provide on a daily basis. The space they have is used in the best way possible. The other most impressive thing is they have a kitchen and provide freshly cooked food - something we never had with my other child's nursery and I had to bring cooked meals which then would get microwaved - something which I am really not fond of not to mention the option of dry sandwiches. The cleanliness - is beyond amazing! Support with initially changing nappies and subsequently toilet training - amazing! Thank you!

Silvina P

July 17, 2022

Review of Little Explorers

Our daughter has been attending Little Explorers for over two years. She joined from another nursery, and Little Explorers is head and shoulders above them. The facilities are top-notch, the staff are all fantastic, and my daughter absolutely loves going there. They spend loads of time outdoors as well as having loads of stuff to do indoors, and I can see how much my daughter has improved in all aspects of her development since joining the nursery. Would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a nursery.

Ben H