Cottage Pre-School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Lewes for babies from 9 months up to 5 year olds, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. £8.00 an hour for 2-year-olds, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2025. Open since 2022, with 24 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 2-year-olds2y to 3y | £8.002-year-olds | |
| 3 and 4-year-olds3y to 4y | £6.003 and 4-year-olds |
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
15 or 30 hours free childcare is also available with government funding, which can be used during any of our sessions (All Day Session, Morning Session or Afternoon Session).
What childcare usually costs in East Sussex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in East Sussex 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
BN7 1PLWhat 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, 28 January 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this vibrant, friendly pre-school. They enthusiastically take part in the broad range of activities on offer. Staff use their good knowledge of children's abilities and interests to plan experiences that successfully capture children's interests. In addition, children confidently explore their environment, choosing the resources they want to use in their freely chosen play. For example, they make good use of the well-equipped role-play area to create imaginative games with their friends. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress in their learning and development.
The warm, caring interactions of staff create a very friendly and positive atmosphere. Children benefit from consistent and effective support to understand how to behave well. They develop good social skills, including sharing and turn taking. They are eager to help staff with tasks, such as tidying up toys and preparing the fruit and vegetables for snack time. Children also show kindness to each other. For example, they help their friends to remove the lid of their lunch boxes. These social skills, along with their positive attitudes to learning, help to prepare children for their future lives in education.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance the support for children to understand and respect different cultures, religions and traditions as part of the curriculum to promote their understanding of the world.
- 28 January 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
Still missing for Cottage Pre-School
- 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 £8.00 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.