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Nurseries in Dorking

There are 14 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Dorking, and 6 other childcare settings such as out-of-school clubs.

Inspection grades in Dorking

  • Ofsted report cards: 3 settings (11 Strong standard, 7 Expected standard)
  • Ofsted grades before November 2025: 8 settings (2 Outstanding, 6 Good)

Grades are shown only where the inspectorate has published the report.

Nurseries and pre-schools

  • Abinger Common Nursery - Pre-school, Dorking RH5 6HZ, ages 2 to 4, 18 places
    Ofsted, 3 March 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Bright Horizons Dorking Day Nursery and Preschool - Day nursery, Dorking RH4 2BG, ages 0 to 4, 96 places
    Ofsted, 29 November 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Busy Bees Day Nursery at Dorking Chichester Road - Day nursery, Dorking RH4 1LR, ages 0 to 4, 44 places
    Ofsted, 15 January 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Busy Bees Day Nursery at Dorking Westcott Road - Day nursery, Dorking RH4 3DP, ages 0 to 4, 52 places
    Ofsted, 4 April 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Capel Pre-school and Out of School Club - Day nursery, Dorking RH5 5JX, ages 2 to 11, 26 places
    Ofsted, 21 April 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Jack and Gill Childcare and Forest School - Pre-school, Dorking RH5 5PY, 37 places
  • North Holmwood Pre-School - Pre-school, Dorking RH5 4JP, ages 2 to 4, 28 places
    Ofsted, 18 January 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Okewood Nursery Limited - Pre-school, Dorking RH5 5RD, ages 1 to 4, 25 places
    Ofsted, 22 June 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Stagecoach Dorking - Pre-school, Dorking RH4 1HW
  • St Michael's Community Nursery - Pre-school, Dorking RH5 6EE, 26 places
  • St Pauls Church Nursery School - Pre-school, Dorking RH4 2HT, ages 2 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted report card, 20 November 2025: Strong standard in 5 areas, Expected standard in 1 area; safeguarding standards met
  • The Nest - Pre-school, Dorking RH5 5QT, ages 1 to 2, 14 places
    Ofsted report card, 8 July 2026: Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • The St Mary's Pre-School - Pre-school, Dorking RH5 4JX, ages 2 to 4, 38 places
    Ofsted, 3 December 2021: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Young Leaders Montessori Casa - Pre-school, Dorking RH5 6QX, ages 2 to 4, 29 places
    Ofsted report card, 10 July 2026: Strong standard in 4 areas, Expected standard in 2 areas; safeguarding standards met

Out-of-school clubs and other childcare

  • Action House Childcare Limited - Out-of-school club, Dorking RH4 2HS, 70 places
  • art-K Dorking - Out-of-school club, Dorking RH4 1UT
  • Dorking Sports Centre Holiday Playscheme - Out-of-school club, Dorking RH4 1SN
  • Premier Education at Surrey Hills All Saints - Out-of-school club, Dorking RH4 3QF, 10 places
  • Stagecoach Dorking - Out-of-school club, Dorking RH4 1LY
  • Y-Kids St Joseph's Dorking - Out-of-school club, Dorking RH4 3JA, 20 places

Nursery groups with settings here

Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)

Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.

The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.

Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.

Source: Ofsted reports

Ofsted grades before November 2025 (England)

Inspections before November 2025 gave one overall grade on a four-point scale: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement, Inadequate. Ofsted also graded the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, and said whether safeguarding was effective.

Settings keep their last grade until Ofsted visits again, so many nurseries still show a grade from this older scale.

Source: Ofsted reports

Funded childcare hours in England

All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.

Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.

Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.

The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.

Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)

Council area

Schools in Dorking

Sources: Ofsted, registers as at 30 June 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.