Abinger Common Nursery
GoodTakes funded hours★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Dorking for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 07:45 to 17:00, 5 days a week. £8.50 an hour, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025. Open since 2000, with 18 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Term time only, 38 weeks a year.
| Age | Session | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | £8.50Full Breakfast Club, Friday Lunch Club, Afterschool Club until 3.45pm, 1 hrs £10.50Lunch Club £15.00Afterschool Club until 4.30pm £19.00Afterschool Club until 5.00pm | £8.50 |
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £1.25 a session Voluntary charge per session
- £4.25 a session Half Breakfast Club
Funded hours
15 hours per week universal entitlement for 3-4 year olds; 15/30 hours working parents entitlement for eligible 2 and 3 year olds; FEET for eligible 2 year olds (up to 15 hours, 38 weeks a year); Early Years Pupil Premium.
What childcare usually costs in Surrey
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Surrey from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
RH5 6HZWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
- 13 October 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 3 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children walk in happily, warmly greeted at the nursery door by friendly staff. They form strong bonds with staff, which helps them feel safe and comfortable. Children follow the established routines well. They put away their belongings, find their name cards and settle down quickly. This shows how well children develop their self-care skills in preparation for their eventual move to school.
A varied and ambitious curriculum is in place, which supports all children's good progress from their starting points. Staff create an appealing learning environment indoors and outdoors, with activities that reflect children's interests, needs and abilities. They place a significant focus on children's outdoor play and provide ample opportunities to develop their physical and emotional well-being. Staff enhance children's capabilities to be respectful and kind to all. For example, children who are proficient at manoeuvring wheeled toys, are encouraged to help their friends who may need further support. This contributes to creating a positive atmosphere and children feeling more assertive and self-assured.
Children's behaviour is good. Leaders and staff understand children's personal traits and learning styles well. They implement suitable strategies for children who may need additional support to focus, and be ready for their busy day ahead. For example, some children require time to be more active before they can sit in a large group for circle time. This approach is proving highly successful, as children become active listeners and respond better.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- ensure all staff have a clear overview of children as they play independently, in order to intervene in a timely manner to expand learning and help them focus more n implement further opportunities for coaching and monitoring of individual staff's teaching skills, to improve their knowledge of how to consistently maximise children's learning experiences.
- 3 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 12 June 2019Good
- 3 July 2014Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Abinger Common Nursery
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- Is £8.50 an hour still the rate? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.