Diggers Forest School Nursery
GoodTakes funded hours★ 4.6 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in South Harting for from 1 year 8 months up to school age, open 08:00 to 17:00, 5 days a week. £9.35 an hour, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2024. Open since 2015, with 24 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
51 weeks a year, price list dated 1st January 2026.
| Age | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| All ages | £9.35Our Fees are based on an hourly or Additional hours |
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £1.50 Breakfast
- £1.75 Tea
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
15 & 30 hours government funding.
Worth knowing. A Voluntary Forest School Supplement is requested each month. The supplement relates to the number of hours funding that is claimed for each child attending between 9am and 4pm.
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
GU31 5QJWhat 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.
- 4 June 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 17 December 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are immersed in nature throughout their day. They explore joyfully in the engaging outdoor learning environment. Knowledgeable practitioners warmly welcome children and their families. They begin meaningful conversations, and children explain how excited they are for the day ahead. Practitioners build close relationships with younger children. They provide comfort and support as children settle in. Children demonstrate that they feel comfortable and assured as they eagerly find their friends.
Children learn about the expectations of their behaviour and conduct. They demonstrate excellent knowledge of personal safety on their outings. For example, older children know to stop and wait at the 'stopping snail'. This is because practitioners prepare them with the knowledge they need to understand why boundaries are in place. Children behave well and consistently listen carefully to instructions.
Leaders prepare a curriculum that is ambitious and meaningful. Children benefit from engaging activities that have been thoughtfully prepared with children's interests in mind. For example, children enjoy using natural resources to make
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the organisation of routines to ensure that children consistently benefit from meaningful interactions that focus on learning.
- 17 December 2024Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 10 April 2019Good
- 21 April 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Diggers Forest School Nursery
- Nappies
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 £9.35 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.