Dolphins Day Nursery
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Worthing for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025. Open since 1997, with 54 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
BN11 2ABWhat 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, 26 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and ready to start their day at this welcoming and inclusive nursery. Staff work closely with families and other professionals to gain a deep understanding of the children in their care. This ensures that children's individual needs are met, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
The diverse team of staff bring a wealth of experiences and speak many languages, supporting children who speak English as an additional language. Staff show genuine care and affection for the children. For example, new children receive sensitive support from their key person to help them settle into nursery.
This helps all children to have a sense of belonging and make good progress from their starting points.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance staff's understanding of how to use their knowledge of what children know and can do to plan more precisely for their next steps in learning n support staff to recognise and maintain children's engagement during their play when they become less focused.
- 26 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 13 May 2024Needs improvement
- 24 August 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Dolphins Day Nursery
- 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.