West Dean Pre-School Nursery
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Chichester for children from birth to 5, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2024. Open since 1991, with 18 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 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
PO18 0RJWhat 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, 27 February 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and settle quickly at pre-school. Staff greet them warmly and introduce exciting songs and rhymes. Children join in with delight. They laugh and sing together. Staff encourage children to learn new actions and model them consistently. Children feel safe and secure with the friendly and attentive staff.
They know how to seek support if they simply need a cuddle for reassurance.
The manager has a clear curriculum in place and knows what she wants children to learn. She plans carefully to ensure children have a rich set of experiences that teach them about the world they live in. Staff take children on interesting trips.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide children with consistent messages that support their understanding of behaviour expectations n deliver clear information to parents about the next steps in children's learning.
- 27 February 2024Good
- 8 May 2018Good
- 27 April 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for West Dean Pre-School 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.