St Paul's Pre-School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Haywards Heath for from 2 years up to school age, open 08:00 to 16:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2025. Open since 2002, with 44 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
The Free Entitlement Grant is 15 hours, available for all children the term after their third birthday. We accept 30-hour funding (extended FE), subject to your eligibility.
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
RH16 3PQWhat 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 September 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle quickly into this welcoming pre-school, where staff build nurturing and responsive relationships with them. For example, when children arrive, staff use familiar routines and engaging activities to help children feel at ease. They warmly interact with children in shared play, such as rolling and moulding autumn themed play dough and exploring natural seasonal objects. This supports children's fine motor skills, creativity and confidence.
Staff create an inclusive environment for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language. For instance, children delight in shared group times, where they confidently join staff in singing and signing colours of the rainbow. This supports all children's communication and language development. Staff sensitively support less-confident children to join in with walking, tiptoeing and hopping around the room. In the garden, staff support children to balance and climb on beams, stepping stones and a climbing frame. All the while, staff give gentle encouragement and praise. This helps strengthen children's physical development and creates a sense of belonging, where all children feel included and valued.
Staff consistently foster a kind and respectful atmosphere. For example, they support children to wait patiently for their turn, encourage the use of polite language, such as please and thank you, and guide them to share during group activities. Children play well and show consideration for each other.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen communication strategies to ensure all parents can access and understand the information shared n embed opportunities for children to explore and celebrate cultural diversity.
- 18 September 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 25 November 2019Good
- 20 April 2016Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Paul's Pre-School
- What it costs
- 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
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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.