Rainbow Pre-School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Crawley for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 08:30 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2023. Open since 2010, with 32 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Universal free childcare (15 hours), Extended free childcare (30 hours), 2 year old funding.
Worth knowing. Any additional hours outside of entitlement will incur a charge - Please contact us for more information.
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
RH10 6DGWhat 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, 5 September 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy when they arrive and are welcomed into the pre-school by the warm and caring staff. They separate from their parents with confidence. Children who are new to the setting settle quickly because the staff support them well. They read books, play games and cuddle children who are away from a parent for the first time. This ensures that children quickly learn that they are safe and secure in the environment. Staff ensure that there are a wide variety of activities for children to choose from. They find out about children's interests before they start at the pre-school, such as by gathering details from parents, and use this information to plan a range of stimulating activities. This helps children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to make the best possible progress and gain valuable skills in preparation for the next stage in their learning.
Staff have high expectations for children and are excellent role models. They speak very respectfully to children and consider their feelings and opinions. Consequently, children demonstrate kindness to one another. They look after resources and are keen to help the staff tidy away toys and complete small tasks, such as handing out lunch boxes to their friends. Children demonstrate their strong bonds with the staff and clearly enjoy being with them.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- adapt adult-led activities to ensure that they are pitched at the right level so all children fully engage and benefit from the learning opportunities n support staff to enhance interactions with children at snack time to further support children's learning and development.
- 5 September 2023Good
- 23 January 2018Good
- 23 February 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Rainbow Pre-School
- What it costs
- Meals
- 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.
- What does it cost, all in? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.