Downside Nursery
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Cobham for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 15:45, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2025. Open since 1986, with 37 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 Surrey
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Surrey 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
KT11 3NAWhat 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, 9 June 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children flourish in the small, welcoming and cosy nursery. A strong emphasis is on supporting children's well-being and promoting outdoor learning in the natural environment. Time is given to ensure children feel safe, secure and settled.
Settling-in sessions are tailored to meet the needs of the individual child. Children happily arrive with enthusiasm and excitement to start their day. They leave their parents with ease and quickly engage in their play. Children demonstrate they are confident and secure and have established warm and trusting bonds with their key person and the small staff team, who speak knowledgeably about the children in their care.
Children benefit from a well-thought-out and ambitious curriculum that builds on what they already know and can do. Staff have high expectations of the children and know them and their individual needs well. They tailor their interactions with the children around their individual development needs. Staff are effective in engaging with other professionals, when required. Personalised strategies are in place to support children who require additional support. This ensures all children make progress from their starting points. Children are well behaved and respond positively to peers and adults.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review group activities to deepen children's level of engagement and maintain purposeful teaching.
- 9 June 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 21 November 2019Good
- 26 February 2016Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Downside 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.