Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage

Ivy Cottage, Balcombe Road, Horley RH6 9SW
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9.4 14 Reviews
  • Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage, Horley
Welcome to Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School, a highly regarded nursery situated on Balcombe Road, where children are welcomed into a nurturing and enriching environment designed to inspire learning, growth and exploration.

The nursery provides care for up to 72 children in a vibrant and dynamic setting. The nursery has over an acre of expansive outdoor space where children play, discover and connect with nature. Children learn about sustainability in a compost wormery, and practise empathy and responsibility caring for the nursery's pet ducklings.

The baby room provides a warm and calming environment, with a separate sleep room, for up to 15 little ones. The toddler room, for up to 25 children aged 18 months to 3 years, offers a stimulating environment where toddlers explore their curiosity, independence and early social interactions. The pre-school room, for 32 children, supports the steps towards primary education by nurturing confidence and problem-solving skills through a balance of structured activities and child-led exploration.
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Funding & Fees

For Fee Schedule please contact nursery

Contact Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage to get a personalised quote.

Contact Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage to get a personalised quote.

Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Person in Charge

  • Jodie Day (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 12

Total Places for Children

  • 72

Age Range

  • from 0 years 3 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:00
    Tuesday 07:30-18:00
    Wednesday 07:30-18:00
    Thursday 07:30-18:00
    Friday 07:30-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage Reviews (14)

9.4

Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage has a Review Score of 9.4 (9.368) out of 10, based on 10 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage has 14 reviews.

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Total of 14, showing 1-14
Review from Moe S (Father of Child) published on 9 January 2026 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are extremely grateful to Ivy Cottage Nursery for the wonderful care and support they have shown our children. From the very beginning, the settling-in process was handled with such care, patience, and professionalism, which made a big difference for our family.
Our children moved from another Cranbrook
nursery to Ivy Cottage, and thanks to Jodie, the transition was absolutely seamless. Jodie was incredibly helpful, supportive, and reassuring throughout the process, keeping us well informed and ensuring everything was in place. Her kindness and understanding truly put us at ease.
The staff at Ivy Cottage are all so welcoming, friendly, and attentive. They created a warm and nurturing environment where our children felt safe, happy, and comfortable from day one. It was clear how much effort the team put into making the children feel settled and valued, and that meant so much to us as parents.
We couldn't be happier with our experience so far and would highly recommend Ivy Cottage Nur
Reply from Jodie Day, Manager at Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy CottageThank you so much for your lovely words and for trusting Ivy Cottage Nursery with the care of your children.
We're delighted to hear that the settling-in process and transition went so smoothly, and I'm so pleased to know that my support, reassurance, and care made such a positive difference for your family.
Our whole team takes great pride in creating a warm, nurturing, and welcoming environment where every child feels safe, happy, and valued, so it means a great deal to know this was felt from day one. Your feedback is incredibly encouraging for all of us.
Thank you again for your kind words and continued support.
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Review from T A (Mother of Child) published on 22 December 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I visited 5 nurseries within Crawley before making my decision. Every nursery had very similar answers to all of my questions & similar facilities which makes it difficult to make a decision..so I had to go off how the nursery made me feel. I got such a good vibe from Ivy Cottage & from Jodie the nursery
manager. I can honestly say that I absolutely made the right decision with Ivy Cottage. The guys that work there are the most welcoming & warm bunch of lovely people. My Daughter had some issues with drop off to start with & being very upset & they were so supportive with this. She also struggled a bit with eating & they came up with ideas to help her eating improve.
Every day when I drop her off & pick her up she is so happy now, smiling at all the staff. Her learning has come on leaps & bounds. They do so many different activities there& are always thinking of ways to include parents & Grandparents with their events. Thank you Ivy Cottage
Reply from Jodie Day, Manager at Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy CottageThank you so much for your lovely review and kind words. We're delighted to hear that Ivy Cottage felt right for you from the start and that your daughter is now so happy and settled with us.
It's wonderful to know the team were able to support her with drop-offs and mealtimes, and to see her confidence and learning grow. Your feedback about our staff, activities, and family events means a great deal to us and will be shared with the whole team.
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Review from E B (Mother of Child) published on 22 December 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter only started Ivy cottage on the 11th November and she has settled into cranbrook nursery so well.
All the nursery staff have been so welcoming I really can't fault them also the amazing manager Jodie Day is definitely a credit to Ivy cottage and I really can't wait to watch my daughters
journey with cranbrook Ivy cottage!
Reply from Jodie Day, Manager at Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy CottageThank you so much for your kind words, we're delighted to hear that you're happy with your child's experience, and it means a lot to our team to know our care and support are appreciated. We look forward to watching A's personality grow with us.
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Review from C B (Mother of Child) published on 7 November 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Ivy Cottage has been a wonderful nursery for my child who has been attending there for nearly 2 years (since Jan 2024). The manager is exceptional, she's always welcoming and communicates well. The whole team is great, and our child is happy and truly blossoming. We have also enrolled our 5 month old
who will be starting in the baby room next year. Couldn't ask for more!
Reply from Jodie Day, Manager at Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy CottageThank you so much for your lovely feedback! We're delighted to hear how happy your child has been at Ivy Cottage and that you've chosen to continue the journey with us for your little one starting next year. Your kind words mean a lot to the whole team!
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Review from Holly H (Mother of Child) published on 15 September 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both of my children have attended Ivy Cottage, and my youngest is still enrolled there. I can't recommend this nursery highly enough. The care and attention that the manager and her team give to the children is exceptional. The chef prepares delicious and nutritious meals, my son often goes back for
seconds! The manager and the staff also organise educational outings, which have been fantastic. I've always felt supported by the manager, and both of my children adore the environment and the staff.
Reply from Jodie Day, Manager at Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy CottageThank you so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely review of our nursery. Your kind words mean a great deal to us and to the team, who work hard every day to provide the best care and learning experiences for the children.It's always wonderful to hear that families feel happy and supported, and we are so pleased that you and your child are enjoying being part of our nursery community.
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Review from Nicola H (Mother of Child) published on 10 April 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Our daughter started in January this year, we are extremely happy with Ivy Cottage and the care my daughter receives. She is well looked after, and it's clear that the staff genuinely care about her well-being. Her key worker has formed a wonderful bond with her, which gives me peace of mind knowing
she's in such capable hands. I also really appreciate the regular updates, keeping me informed about her progress and daily activities. The nursery management also hosts lots of events, which makes me feel involved and connected. Overall, I couldn't be happier with the experience and would highly recommend.
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Review from C S (Mother of Child) published on 28 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter started in the baby room in December. I chose cranbrook because I attended the nurseries as a child myself many years ago and trust their reputation. The manager is an incredible manager she is attentive, listens to concerns and has played an active role in reassuring myself and ensuring
my daughter is settled at the Nursery. All three girls in the baby room are incredible. I watch my daughter's face light up when she sees them however have an extra appreciation for one staff member in particular. She built a strong bond with my daughter focusing on building her confidence and made sure to update me daily on how she's doing. I have no concerns that my daughters confidence will continue to grow as she learns and plays at the Nursery.
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Review from Jane A (Mother of Child) published on 22 August 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I had looked around at a few Nurseries in the area and although I was aware of some previous issues with this one I immediately got a great feeling over the others I had seen. I think the biggest sway was the outside space my son loves being outdoors so this was a massive thumbs up.
The Manager answered
all our questions as she could see I was an anxious mum lots of reassurance and answered all my questions.
My little one then started in January 2024 and can honestly say the difference in him he has more confidence and is beginning to learn and understand what is great is they send you updates and pictures on the App and I can do the same so they can see what he learns and does at home too.
The Manager is a great asset to the Nursery she cares not just for the children but for the parents too which makes a massive difference.
The Team there not just my little one Key worker but all the team know me and my Son.
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Review from Yasmin G (Mother of Child) published on 19 August 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We love everything about Ivy Cottage. The staff are fantastic and show so much enthusiasm towards the children and their learning.
The manager is so passionate and brilliant. She is so approachable and is constantly improving the nursery to be the very best.
We feel our daughter is safe, and well
cared for and it shows, as she's so happy to go there.
The garden is amazing and the onsite forest school is a huge bonus.
Would highly recommend it!
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Review from Emily M (Mother of Child) published on 15 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son started in January and I have been so impressed with the care and attention he has received. I was very aware that the nursery had received some bad press in the past but also knew that the new manager had moved from my daughter's previous nursery. She is an incredible manager who always has
the children's care and development at the heart of everything that she does. Every day my son is at nursery I get updates with pictures of what he has been exploring that day and how they have helped to support him in his development. Although activities are set up for all children, it has been clear that they take the time to help my son explore the things he is interested in and learn new things as he goes. I have had amazing communication each day from his Keyworker who has clearly got to know him well. I love that he already gets to explore the outdoor area (which is huge) and partnership with parents is clear with lovely activities set up such as Mother's Day pottery painting!
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Review from D E (Father of Child) published on 1 June 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 1.0 out of 5
Absolutely shocking nursery. Poor management and poorly run with very little organisation and zero child development leading to chaos on a daily basis amongst the children. Poor hygiene throughout the premises leading to a high risk of infection among the children. This nursery happily took our money
and knowingly put our children's safety at risk on a daily basis leading to them being eventually harmed due to constant low staffing issues which they continuously ignored and kept secret to parents. A high price for the area for what they offer parents providing extremely poor value for money. Don't be fooled by what they offer on day one. They advertise lovely home-cooked meals by a qualified chef but in reality, what they actually provided was frozen fish fingers and a couple of breadsticks and crackers by a member of staff with no qualifications. I wouldn't recommend this nursery to any parent that cares about their child and wants the best for their child's development.
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Review from Dawn C (Mother of Child) published on 4 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 1.0 out of 5
After an inadequate Ofsted rating the nursery withdrew placement on over 30 4-year-olds with immediate effect including my son because they did not meet the requirements of qualified staff.
I believe this age group was chosen as they are less profitable due to leaving the setting in September. This
proves that the company do not care about the welfare of my child and only wants your money.
The lovely staff are let down by those in power who make these shocking decisions to continue to accept children knowing that they are in breach of Ofsted requirements.
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Review from Juleigh H (Mother of Child) published on 26 June 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Our daughter's transition into the toddler group went remarkably well, very soon after starting she was happy to go to the staff, she loved it.


She would come home with signs of a great day of play and having eaten a very good couple of meals. She really flourished and we noticed a huge advancement

in her development since starting. There have been a few problems with receiving newsletters but I.T can be a bit of a tricky issue. We would always recommend Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage, their outdoor play areas are second to none, way above most nurseries we visited.
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Review from Jessica H (Mother of Child) published on 20 September 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have two children, both of whom have attended or are attending Ivy Cottage. Both of them are self-confident and well-mannered children who are inquisitive about the world around them, and this is supported and fostered by the childcare provided at Ivy Cottage. The staff are polite, professional, and
work with parents to provide as flexible an approach to childcare as is possible in an environment with multiple children and needs. The manager communicates regularly with parents regarding news at the nursery and provides information about what topics are being covered within the setting and how parents at home can get involved. All in all, it's a lovely environment for the kids and I am happy to leave mine under the careful supervision of the staff.
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Current Review Score: 9.4 (9.368)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.4 (9.368) out of 10 for Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 10 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.4 out of 5 from 10 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.924 for Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage is calculated as follows: ( (110 Excellents x 5) + (9 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 119 Ratings = 4.924
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 4.444 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage is based on 10 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 20 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews, 0.05 Points for the next five Positive Reviews, and finally 0.025 Points for the next ten Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.050, 7th = 0.050, 8th = 0.050, 9th = 0.050, 10th = 0.050, 11th = 0.025, 12th = 0.025, 13th = 0.025, 14th = 0.025, 15th = 0.025, 16th = 0.025, 17th = 0.025, 18th = 0.025, 19th = 0.025, 20th = 0.025) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 = 3.75
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 72 number of registered child places is 14.4. 10 Positive Reviews ÷ 14.4 = 0.694
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (1)

Meet the Team (2)

Jodie

Jodie

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2009

Jodie joined the company in 2009 as a dedicated member of staff with a passion for early years education. She was supported in completing her Level 3 childcare qualification and has since enjoyed a career filled with growth and progression. In 2017, she became Team Leader at Acorn Cottage, followed by a promotion to Deputy Manager in 2020. In April 2023, she and her manager were proud to lead their team to an Outstanding Ofsted result. Jodie became Nursery Manager at Ivy Cottage in June 2023 and remains committed to upholding Cranbrook’s high standards, striving to achieve Outstanding once again.


Her decision to pursue a career in childcare was inspired by her family’s background in the sector. She values the opportunities at Cranbrook to work across different nurseries and to introduce creative and innovative ideas that enhance children’s learning experiences. Jodie is passionate about creating a nurturing environment, supporting her staff team, and building strong and trusting partnerships with parents.


Outside of nursery life, Jodie is a devoted Crystal Palace supporter and follows the team across the country. She also enjoys baking and challenging herself through physical activities, including completing the London to Brighton bike ride three times. She is dedicated to ensuring every child at Ivy Cottage receives a caring, enriching and memorable early years experience.

Natasha

Natasha

Job Title: Nursery Deputy Manager Joined: 2009

Natasha has been a valued member of our nursery team since 2009, bringing a wealth of experience and a heartfelt commitment to supporting families and children across many of our settings. Her warm and caring nature, combined with her dedication to early years education, makes her a trusted and much-loved member of the team.


Outside her professional role, Natasha enjoys spending quality time with her children and grandchildren, creating happy and lasting memories. She also embraces new challenges and once took part in a charity skydive, demonstrating her adventurous spirit and her desire to make a positive difference.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage

What is the Age Range of Children that Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage accepts?

Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage Open?

Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage is open: Monday 07:30-18:00, Tuesday 07:30-18:00, Wednesday 07:30-18:00, Thursday 07:30-18:00, Friday 07:30-18:00.

How many Children does Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage have capacity for?

Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage has capacity for a total of 72 Children.

How far is Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage to the centre of Horley?

1.8 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Cranbrook Independent Nursery & Pre-School - Ivy Cottage has an Enhanced Service - more info.