Bright Horizons Dorking Day Nursery and Preschool
Good★ 4.7 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Dorking for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2023. Open since 2017, with 96 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
RH4 2BGWhat 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.
- 14 September 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 14 February 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 29 November 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at the setting happy and eager to learn. They are taken to their designated room by their parents and receive a warm welcome from staff. Children immediately settle into the activities that staff have organised. For example, babies explore sand with spoons and staff encourage them to share. Staff support children to be independent. They remind children to hang their coats up and tidy up after themselves before getting ready to go outside. Older children are enthusiastic and play extremely well together. They negotiate the rules of playing 'piggy in the middle' and decide who goes in the middle first and who throws the ball. Children listen, respect each other's views and independently take turns.
Outside, children engage in role play. They ask each other what flavour ice cream they want from their pretend ice-cream van. Staff extend children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. For example, they talk to children about the effects of sugary sweets on their teeth. Staff encourage children to think about risk. For example, staff remind children how to walk down the stairs to the garden safely. Children demonstrate confidence as they say, 'Good morning' to other children and staff as they pass their rooms on the way to the garden.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- focus on enhancing the provision for babies to reflect the good quality seen throughout the rest of the setting.
- 29 November 2023Good
- 24 January 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Bright Horizons Dorking Day Nursery and 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.