Dicker House Preschool
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Burgess Hill for children from birth to 5, open 08:55 to 14:55, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2022. Open since 2009, with 26 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 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
RH15 0DPWhat 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 November 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and enthusiastic learners in this welcoming setting. They make good relationships with the attentive and caring staff. This helps them to feel secure and settle quickly. They follow the clear routines, put away their water bottles and find their name to self-register when they arrive. Children benefit from the inclusive ethos. For example children, including those who speak English as an additional language, enjoy rolling and cutting play dough. They strengthen their fingers and learn new vocabulary to describe their actions. Children confidently count and name the shapes they make as they play together. They are friendly and confident in their interactions with their peers, staff and visitors.
Children choose their own play from the good range of learning experience provided both indoors and outdoors. They develop the social skills, independence and positive attitudes to learning that they will need when they move on to school.
For instance, children learn to listen carefully and control their body movements during the regular yoga sessions. They quickly develop a sense of belonging to the group and behave well. Children independently use timers to help them take turns and solve their own conflicts. They wash their hands when needed, and older children easily manage their own self-care.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review and focus the system for planning activities to consistently link to children's learning needs n improve staff teaching skills so that they ask questions that fully support children in developing their own thinking and ideas as they play.
- 11 November 2022Good
- 28 March 2017Good
- 8 January 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Dicker House 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.