Bobtails Preschool
OutstandingBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Horley for children from birth to 5, open 08:45 to 14:30, 6 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in June 2023. Open since 2015, with 35 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
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
RH6 9AYWhat 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.
Ofsted inspector, 13 June 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children beam with excited faces as they arrive at the pre-school. They show that they know the routines extremely well as they put their things away and select items at the snack bar. Staff expertly use this opportunity to check on their wellbeing and guide them through the healthy choices available. Children's ideas and voices are highly valued. For example, the snacks available are chosen on Fridays by all children and a shopping list is created. This has a very positive effect on children's self-esteem and sense of belonging at the pre-school.
Children thrive as they embrace the rich experiences that the curriculum has to offer, led by their own imaginations and democratic decisions. Staff have set up very effective systems and routines for children to have a meaningful say in what they learn and how the pre-school is set up. For example, children place pebbles in different-coloured buckets to vote for which story they want to hear that day. The manager and staff know the children and families exceptionally well, and have very high expectations of the children. This has a powerful effect on children's highly positive attitudes to learning.
Children's achievements are celebrated by the whole community. Parents are encouraged to share 'wow' moments from home on cardboard stars, which they write as they arrive and share with their child's key person. Staff expertly use this opportunity to build children's language skills and confidence as they chat about the achievements and share them with other children and staff. Children can then choose whether to put the star into their memory books, which they very much enjoy reading through and sharing with each other.
- 13 June 2023Outstanding
- 5 October 2017Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Bobtails Preschool
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- 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
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.