Childcare in Dorking
Dorking has 4 day nurseries, 10 pre-schools, 3 school nursery classes, 10 childminders and 6 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 15 of them, and rated every one Good or better, 4 of them Outstanding. 18 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Across Surrey there are 40 places per 100 children under five, better supplied than England as a whole at 32.
Places per 100 under-fives is registered capacity at nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across Surrey, divided by the children aged 0 to 4 who live there at the 2021 Census. It compares areas; it is not a count of free places today. It also leaves out the 184 school nursery classes across Surrey, because nobody publishes how many children they take.
26 settings match. Search by postcode to sort them by how far they really are.
What has changed here
Ofsted does not publish closures, so we work them out by comparing releases. Worth knowing if you are working from an old list.
- Jun 2026Closed Funsport @ Surrey Hills Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Closed Chatterbox Nursery Full day care
- Jun 2026Opened Jack and Gill Childcare and Forest School Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened Premier Education at Surrey Hills All Saints Out-of-school day care
- Dec 2025Opened Stagecoach Dorking Sessional day care
- Dec 2025Opened The Nest Sessional day care
- Jun 2025Opened Dorking Sports Centre Holiday Playscheme Out-of-school day care
What people ask about childcare in Dorking
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
Which nurseries in Dorking take funded hours?
7 of the 33 settings in Dorking are recorded as taking the government funded hours. Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.
Are any nurseries in Dorking rated Outstanding?
Yes. 4 of the 15 settings Ofsted has inspected in Dorking hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Dorking take babies?
26 settings in Dorking are registered to take children under two. Ofsted's register does not say whether a setting runs a baby room or has space in it, so ring before you plan around it.
Is it hard to get a nursery place in Dorking?
Surrey has 40 registered childcare places for every 100 children under five, against 32 across England. That is registered capacity rather than free places, so it compares areas rather than telling you what is available this week.
Towns close to Dorking
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.