Cranbrook Independent Nursery and Preschool
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Balcombe for babies from 3 months up to school age, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2023. Open since 2006, with 56 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Government-funded childcare for children from 9 months old, as well as for 2-year-olds and 3 - 4-year-olds.
Worth knowing. These entitlements are provided in line with the criteria set out by the local authority. Eligibility may vary, so please speak with the Nursery Manager at your preferred setting for guidance on the funding options available to you.
What childcare usually costs in West Sussex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West 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
RH17 6NLWhat 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, 11 May 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are greeted at the gate and receive a warm welcome. Upon arrival to their designated room, children eagerly explore the inviting environment. For example, older children choose the craft materials they wish to use, to make carriages. They talk about events they took part in for the King's Coronation. Children are reminded to put away the resources they are not using, to ensure the area is safe.
Children have free-flow access to the outdoor area, where they engage in imaginative play. Older children walk along planks that are balanced between crates. Younger children look for bugs in their garden area, and babies enjoy singing outside. Children are encouraged to manage their own risk. For example, they are supported to consider if there is enough room for them to join in the play.
They count the number of chairs and work out if there is enough space for them.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the support for children to ensure they have sufficient challenge and opportunities to extend their learning further, particularly in relation to their physical development.
- 11 May 2023Good
- 4 September 2018Good
- 25 May 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Cranbrook Independent Nursery and Preschool
- What it costs
- 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.
- What does it cost, all in? 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.