North Holmwood Pre-School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Dorking for children from birth to 8+, open 08:30 to 16:00, 5 days a week. £44.00 a day, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2023. Open since 1984, with 28 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Price list dated 1 September 2025.
| Age | Full day | Session | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | £44.00All Day | £22.00Morning or Afternoon |
Before you start
One-off charges to take a place.
- £25.00 Depositrequired when your child is offered a place at Pre-school, refundable
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
15 hours of Free Early Education for Two-year-olds (FEET), 30 hours of Working Parent Entitlement (WPE) for 2-year-old children, 15 hours of Universal FEE Funding for all 3 and 4 year old children, 15 hours of Extended Working Parent Entitlement (WPE) for some 3 & 4 year old children.
Worth knowing. All funding is claimed from the term after the child’s 2nd or 3rd birthday, depending on funding type. An annual funding declaration form will need to be completed at the start of the 1st term that they join us. You will also need to show your child’s birth certificate when completing the 1st funding form.
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
RH5 4JPWhat 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, 18 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children receive a warm welcome as they arrive. They find their peg, hang up their coats and eagerly rush off to start their day. Newer children are given reassuring hugs and comfort when they need it. Children settle quickly and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in the warm, inviting pre-school.
Children engage in a wide range of experiences. Staff support children's language development as they introduce new words in the doctor's role play-area, talking about 'medicines', 'injections' and 'stethoscopes'. Children enjoy cuddles with staff as they delve into books. Some children experiment with ice and water, exploring how it feels and melts when warmed. Children confidently ask staff for hammers to hit the ice and break it into chunks. All children are developing a positive attitude to learning in preparation for school.
Children behave well and listen carefully to adults. Staff are good role models, and there are clear boundaries in place. Children are learning to share and take turns with favourite resources. There is a clear focus on providing an inclusive service, where each child is valued. Children readily follow directions at key times of the day, such as putting their coats on and lining up to go outside. Staff promote children's good manners well.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen opportunities for children to develop more independence during their everyday experiences n develop children's understanding of mathematics through everyday routines and experiences.
- 18 January 2023Good
- 29 June 2017Good
- 12 June 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for North Holmwood Pre-School
- Youngest age taken
- 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.
- Is £44.00 a day 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.
- 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.