Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Whitstable Railway Station, Railway Avenue, Whitstable CT5 1QS
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9.4 27 Reviews
  • Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable, Whitstable
Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable is a beautiful Edwardian train station, converted into a warm and caring nursery. Located in the lovely seaside town of Whitstable, the nursery was formerly the Whitstable Railway Station.

The nursery offers exceptional care, enriched by unique learning opportunities for your child. One such experience is child-friendly cooking classes, helping to equip children with valuable skills and deeper knowledge of the cooking process.

The three open plan ground floor rooms are full of engaging resources, all designed to create a home-from-home environment. With large windows and high ceilings, the nursery is light and airy for all children to flourish in. The nursery is complete with its own safe, secure and stimulating garden environment.

Full of vibrant and sensual play, the design of Babychoos has been carefully created to stimulate and engage all children. The open plan spaces are based on one level with access to a carefully constructed garden equipped especially for children under two.

The Caterpillar room for 2-3 year olds, encourages free flow play inside and out, where children can explore many activities. As children make the transition from Babychoos, the Caterpillar room is oozing with a wealth of resources, which aim to inject fun into every child’s day and encourage a zest for learning.

As children progress into the Butterflies room at around 3-5 year olds, learning continues to be enjoyable and rewarding, with a good balance of child initiated play and adult led activities. The room is spread over two areas and children have the choice to free flow, which ensures they access all areas of the curriculum.

The team and children love to explore the local area with the children and will go on frequent walks in the surrounding area; making the most of the nursery's seaside location with lots of walks to the beach as well as the harbour, castle and park.

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Care Provided by Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

  • Type of Service
  • Day Nursery – Privately Owned
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Harriet Barnes (Nursery Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 26
  • Total Places for Children
  • 79
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 0 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • 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 & Christmas

Funding & Fees Guide for Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

  • AM/PM Session £40.80, Full Day Session £70.30 (Under 3)
    AM/PM Session £38.00, Full Day Session £69.00 (Over 3)

  • A £100 non-refundable registration fee is required to secure a place. Exact days of attendance should be confirmed no later than 6 weeks prior to the child’s start date. Any changes are subject to availability.
  • Parking

  • There is free parking and a safe drop off area.


Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable Reviews (27)

Total of 27, showing 1-20
9.4

Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable has a Review Score of 9.4 (9.367) out of 10, based on 12 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable has 27 reviews.

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Review from Caitlin W (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff are all very informative and welcoming. They keep me posted throughout the day with updates on the app so I can see exactly what my child is up to. I'm 100% confident in my choice to send my little girl to this nursery.

Reply from Hannah Nabil, Marketing Business Partner at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Thank you for your positive words and for entrusting us with the care of your daughter, we look forward to continue being a part of her learning journey.


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Review from A L (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Phenomenal nursery setting, cannot fault the team or environment. Everyone is so welcoming, supporting and goes above and beyond to support. One staff member in particular has been an incredible support to me and my child, always checks in and makes sure we are happy. My child is excited to attend nursery
all 5 days and loves everyone that works there. This gives me so much confidence, that this is the best place for my child :-)

Reply from Hannah Nabil, Marketing Business Partner at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Thank you for your kind words! We're so glad to hear that you and your child feel supported and welcomed. It's wonderful to know they enjoy their time with us - we truly appreciate your trust :)


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Review from Francesca W (Mother of Child) published on 12 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son started Choo Choos in Sept and he has grown so much since being there. After picking him up from the nursery today, he said that he had a lovely day! He loves being at the nursery, playing, learning and socialising with his friends. The key workers at Choo Choos are fantastic and I can't recommend
them enough! They do such an amazing job and they really care for the children, we really appreciate everything they do. The facilities are fabulous, incorporating lots of different activities for the children to explore. The nursery provides nutritious meals for the children, which my son enjoys (especially the fruit snacks). I highly recommend the lovely people and Choo Choos as an excellent choice for any child and am very happy my son attends Choo Choos.

Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

We're delighted to hear that your son is enjoying his time with us and developing so well. It's always our goal to provide a nurturing, fun, and enriching environment for the children, and it's fantastic to know that you're happy with the care and activities we offer. We'll be sure to pass your compliments along to our fantastic team. Thank you for recommending our setting.


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Review from Elle M (Mother of Child) published on 12 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My child has settled really well into the caterpillar room at whitstable, he loves coming in and has an amazing relationship with staff, he is always happy and seeing the observations of him is really good. The managers are so lovely too and approachable and the staff are so lovely too, he loves all
the activities and has learnt so much, his speech has come in amazingly too since being there and has made so many friendships

Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

We're thrilled to read that your son has settled well in the Caterpillar Room and is enjoying all the activities as well as developing relationships with the team and his peers. It's wonderful to read about the progress he's made with his speech too, it's a joy to be part of his learning journey. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review.


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Review from M G (Father of Child) published on 3 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter loves going to nursery! We were worried about her starting nursery but we didn't need to worry with Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable. Not just her key person, but all of the staff, know our daughter well and it's a pleasure speaking to the team at handovers. The extra circular activities
are amazing, cooking with the on-site chef on Mondays is a big hit with my daughter, as well as the sport coaches that come to nursery and our daughter has been teaching my wife and I how to do yoga moves after her yoga sessions at nursery! A big thank you to the nursery manager for the brilliant events she plans throughout the year.

Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

The settling-in process and early days of starting nursery can feel daunting, but we are so pleased to read how the team have made you feel at ease and that your yoga moves are improving as much as your daughter's!


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Review from Viktor E (Father of Child) published on 27 February 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 1.0 out of 5

Our daughter started at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable at 11 months, and she loved it. She enjoyed playing with her friends and formed a strong bond with her key worker, a wonderful person. However, at 18 months, she was moved to the Toddler group without our consent. This caused unnecessary stress
and raised serious hygiene concerns, as children wear outdoor shoes inside, leading to frequent illnesses. Despite multiple attempts to discuss this with management, they refused to listen or address our concerns. While some staff members are great, the overall management approach and hygiene standards are disappointing. If you value good communication and a clean, safe environment for your child, I would not recommend this nursery.

Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

We are sorry to read about your experience. We take all feedback seriously and are committed to providing a safe, clean, nurturing and caring environment for all children in our nursery. Every child's well-being is of utmost importance to us, and we will thoroughly investigate and address the issues you have raised to make necessary improvements.


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Review from Ana Z (Mother of Child) published on 27 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

At Choochoos our little one is engaged in stimulating and age-appropriate activities that foster growth and development.
Whether it's crafts, outdoor play, or storytelling. We have witnessed firsthand the joy and excitement on our baby's face going in and out, the connection with his key person whom
we cannot thank enough for the caring attention and the joy of watching the daily pictures showing him explore and learn.
Every interaction has filled us with confidence and peace of mind and we are very proud to recommend it.

Reply from Joanne Wright, Chief Marketing Officer at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Thank you so much for your kind words, we really appreciate it.


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Review from Lara P (Mother of Child) published on 12 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Choochoos is a really special nursery filled with smiley faces, all keen to take care of and nurture my little ones. My son has gone through each room and loved everyone, and now my daughter is doing the same. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this nursery to anyone.

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Review from Kayte C (Mother of Child) published on 18 July 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Choochoos Day Nursery has been wonderful for my 2 boys, they have both been very happy there. The staff are great and the food options always seem varied and delicious. Plus the location is perfect too. Only slight negative is the size of the space they have both inside and outside. But it doesn’t appear
to affect their happiness! Would totally recommend.

Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Thank you for your review, we really appreciate your comments!


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Review from H E (Mother of Child) published on 21 April 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Staff, especially key workers are really friendly and helpful. My child really enjoys going to the nursery and doing all the activities offered there. The nursery offers lots of additional benefits such as parent's evenings and other events parents can attend.

Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Thank you for your review, we really appreciate it!


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Review from Sarah T (Mother of Child) published on 17 April 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

All of the staff are friendly and caring, they take a real interest in my child’s personal interests and support him in expressing himself and meeting his next developmental goals. We were really worried about him starting nursery at 6 months but he absolutely adores his time there and we are delighted
to have picked Choochoos Day Nursery.

Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Thank you so much for your review. We really appreciate it!


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Review from Demi S (Mother of Child) published on 14 April 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our child loves going to nursery. He has formed a wonderful bond with his key person and has developed so many new skills since attending the setting.
All staff are friendly, caring and are more than happy to answer any questions or queries.
We are very glad we picked Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable!
Thank you all.

Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Thank you very much for such a kind review, we really appreciate it!


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Review from T N (Father of Child) published on 16 November 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Fantastic nursery and wonderful staff. Regular, thorough updates. Lovely playing areas and facilities. Outdoor space is greatly enjoyed by the children. Communication is very good. Highly recommended.

Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Thank you for taking the time to write this review, we really appreciate it!


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Review from Madeleine M (Mother of Child) published on 9 August 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter really enjoys nursery. She loves the personalised activities that the staff promote; the food at all mealtimes and playing with the children and staff. All staff are really friendly and go out of their way to make my child’s experience a positive one.

Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Thank you so much for your review and for taking the time to write it, we really appreciate the feedback!


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Review from Katie N (Mother of Child) published on 8 August 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Staff are always friendly and my daughter always comes home happy. Some staff talk less on pick up so don’t always get all the information of the day but I understand that they are busy times. A suggestion would be to have contact books like they did in babychoos as I prefer knowing and would save time
on pick up and trying to remember everything.

Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Thank you for your feedback. As a group, we are always trying to improve our communication with our families. We aim to provide high quality and regular updates through our social media channels, monthly nursery newsletter, bi-monthly group newsletter and via our parent app. Our teams focus first and foremost on the children's development and supporting them throughout the busy day but endeavour to update the parent app as much as possible to provide regular updates. Thank you again for your feedback, and it will be passed onto the team.


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Review from Clare A (Mother of Child) published on 8 August 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We have been delighted with our daughter's progress since she joined Choochoo's! She is happy and she settled really well. The staff are brilliant, attentive to her needs and so supportive. I couldn't recommend it more!

Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Hi and thank you so much for your kind review, we appreciate it!


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Review from K J (Mother of Child) published on 25 April 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Lovely staff. Great level of communication with parents. My baby loves attending there. App is great to see what they get up to and they are always making crafts and cards etc. for us to take home.
Feel like he is safe and enjoying it.

Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Thank you so much for your review and for taking the time to write it, we really appreciate it!


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Review from Ben M (Father of Child) published on 14 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

ChooChoos Day Nursery provides a wonderfully supportive, nurturing and educational setting for my daughter. The enrichment of the setting and variety of activities to entertain, stimulate and educate children is excellent but also age-appropriate and fun, meaning she looks forward to going every day.

Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Thank you for taking the time to write this review and for your wonderful comments!


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Review from Emily T (Mother of Child) published on 15 February 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable have taken great care to get to know my son well. As a result, he feels happy and safe there. Every time he comes home he is proud of an achievement he has made that day. They keep close track of his development and are always looking to further this through
the activities and experiences they offer. The feedback and information we get from the nursery shows how well they know my son. The staff always appear happy. I would definitely recommend Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable to other parents. Thank you for all your hard work.

Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Thank you for taking the time to write this review and for your comments, we appreciate it! We are delighted to hear of your son's progress, and how happy he is at nursery!


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Review from Kirsty L (Mother of Child) published on 10 February 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Both of my children are extremely happy at Choochoos Day Nursery and are well cared for by their key workers and their buddies. They take part in a variety of activities which they greatly enjoy. My little boy has made some good friends who he looks forward to seeing.

Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

Thank you for taking the time to write this review and for your wonderful comments - we really appreciate it!


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Current Review Score: 9.4 (9.367)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.4 (9.367) out of 10 for Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.7 out of 5 from 12 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.7 out of 5 from 11 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:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.671 for Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable is calculated as follows: ( (115 Excellents x 5) + (20 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) + (1 Poors x 2) + (5 Very Poors x 1) ) ÷ 143 Ratings = 4.671

  • b) 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 4.696 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable is based on 11 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 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

    • ii) 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 79 number of registered child places is 15.8. 11 Positive Reviews ÷ 15.8 = 0.696

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

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Awards / Recognitions (4)

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Meet the Team (1)

Harriet

Harriet Barnes

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2023

Hi! I'm Harriet and I'm the Nursery Manager here at Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable.


Our highly qualified and experienced team of practitioners ensure children cherish their time at Choochoos, making the most of our stunning outdoor learning environment.


We look forward to welcoming you to our nursery!


Frequently Asked Questions about Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable

What is the Age Range of Children that Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable accepts?

Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable accepts Children aged from 0 years 0 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable Open?

Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable is open: 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.

How many Children does Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable have capacity for?

Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable has capacity for a total of 79 Children.

How far is Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable to the centre of Whitstable?

0.4 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable has a Platinum Service – more info.