NurseryWise Childcare in England
Day nursery in Heathfield

Sheepsetting Pre-School

GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades

A day nursery in Heathfield for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2023. Open since 2005, with 24 places.

Call 01435 866268Their website

Cost

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 East Sussex

£6.50an hour, typical for a 2 years old
£6.30an hour, typical for a 3 and 4 years old

This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in East Sussex from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.

The basics

Places, hours and the day

Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.

Who they can take
Birth to 8+Registered from birth. Whether there is a baby room is a question for the call.
When it's open
Open all day, usually 8am to 6pm
Funded hours
Not published, so ask them
How many children
24 placesMedium for England
How long open
21 yearsOpen for decades
Address
Cross in Hand C of E Primary School, Sheepsetting Lane, Heathfield, TN21 0XG

Where it is

TN21 0XG
Ofsted URN EY309278On the register since 24 May 2005
Ofsted

What 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, 21 February 2023 · read the full report

What it is like to attend

Children are confident and self-assured. They explore their play environment with enthusiasm, both indoors and outdoors, experimenting with a wealth of resources.

Children's self-esteem is ever increasing through the positive interaction and engagement from the whole staff team. Children develop positive relationships with their friends. They happily invite others into their play. They listen to rules and boundaries, especially when out of the setting, such as forest school and within the community. They show delight in their achievements, wanting to share their new skills with staff, parents and their friends. They show a great eagerness to learn and discover more.

Children's communication and language is enthusiastically encouraged. Staff act as positive role models in their language. They use open-ended questions and statements to help children to think, take time to absorb information and respond verbally with gestures and expressions. Staff continually introduce new complex vocabulary to support children's speech and language. For example, children explain that the watermelon at snack time is 'crunchy, juicy, slurpy, yummy, watery because it's a watermelon'.

What Ofsted told them to improve

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:

- develop staff's confidence to encourage further mathematical concepts in all areas of play for all children n enhance the communication with other settings children attend to fully support their continuous learning and development.

  • 21 February 2023Good
  • 26 April 2017Good
  • 13 March 2015Good

Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.

Still missing for Sheepsetting Pre-School

  • 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.

Before you ring

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.
Compare

Day nurseries within a couple of miles

This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.

Broad Oak Pre-school

Day nursery · Broad Oak Village Hall, Burwash Road, Broad Oak, TN21 8SS

OutstandingBirth to 8+08:00 to 16:00, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 1030 placesOpen for decades
1.8 mi
5 min drive
07379138613Their website

Little Tinkers

Day nursery · Scocus Barn, Five Ashes, Mayfield, TN20 6JJ

Report card Mar 2026Takes funded hoursBirth to 8+08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week★ 4.3 Google, 664 placesOpen for decades
1.9 mi
5 min drive
01825 830772Their website

Pick two or three to compare.

Everything here comes from Ofsted's published childcare register, under the Open Government Licence. Ratings are quoted exactly as Ofsted gave them, with their dates. Read the full Ofsted reports · How we put this together.

All childcare in Heathfield