Bright Horizons Dorking Day Nursery and Preschool

Active Learning House, Moores Road, Dorking RH4 2BG
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9.6 90 Reviews
A happy and stimulating nursery in Dorking

Bright Horizons Dorking Day Nursery and preschool is conveniently located close to Dorking train station and provides high-quality care and education for children aged 3 months to 5 years.

With a large garden and in walking distance to a park, the children can take advantage of a variety of resources at the nursery, including an Art Studio and a sensory room for the younger children. The nursery also offers swimming lessons for the preschool children.

All-inclusive fees mean that you have less to pack on a busy morning, with everything from healthy lunches and snacks to branded nappies and wipes included.
The nursery has been awarded an Ofsted rating of ‘Good’ for their commitment to high quality childcare and education( Jan 2019).

The Team is excited to be part of your child’s journey and look forward to meeting you and your little one soon. Book a personal tour with the nursery today.
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Type of Service

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

Person in charge

  • Pippa (Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 18

Total Places for Children

  • 89

Age Range

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

Opening Times

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

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Bright Horizons Dorking Day Nursery and Preschool Reviews (90)

Total of 90, showing 61-80
9.6

Bright Horizons Dorking Day Nursery and Preschool has a Review Score of 9.6 (9.646) out of 10, based on 14 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Bright Horizons Dorking Day Nursery and Preschool has 90 reviews.

Overall Experience

  • 79
  • 11
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Date Published

90
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Review from Elizabeth M (Mother of Child) published on 16 November 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son has attended Active Learning Dorking (Surrey) for 3 years and is currently in preschool. I cannot recommend this nursery highly enough, for the way in which they have supported our son, who has some social and communication difficulties.


The team (particularly management and preschool) are

kind, inventive and have a calm approach and sense of humour. We always know he is looked after in the best possible way and is treated so kindly. Very impressed. Communication with parents is great. Car parking is the only issue.

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Review from Lucy D (Mother of Child) published on 9 November 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have always liked the way the nursery is run and have had two children over the last two years - this week my son was quite unwell and it took me over an hour to get back from work - I phoned twice on the way and was reassured by the staff that they were looking after him and if things worsened they
had a procedure in place. The head of his room was calm and made me calm down as I was so worried. When I finally arrived they were looking after him so well - I could not be more grateful for the way they looked after him - I really feel like he was in safe hands and I will be forever appreciative of their calm and professional manner and also their genuine personal concern for him.

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Review from J W (Father of Child) published on 3 November 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Our son started in the baby room and has moved through Jumblies and is now in Firebirds. The girls in Jumblies are really fantastic and he really enjoyed his time in that room. He hasn't made quite the same connection yet with the team in Firebirds but it's early days. The staff, for the most part,
are great.
Personally, I think the nursery has come on leaps and bounds under the new management team and I certainly appreciate their flexibility and the new ideas being launched. For me, the one area that needs to improve is the food, though I understand it's hard to please everyone's tastes. Thank you all for your hard work.

Reply from Katherine O'Brien, Digital Marketing Coordinator at Bright Horizons Dorking Day Nursery and Preschool

Thank you for taking the time to submit your review and thank you for your kind comments.
We are sorry to hear you have concerns over the menus at the nursery. I have brought this to the Managers attention and she will work with you to go through our Winter menus and discuss your concerns in more depth.
Our menus are carefully planned and freshly prepared by our chefs, in consultation with nutritionists, and a daily menu will be displayed at the nursery.
If you would like to provide any further information please contact us on - ukfeedback@brighthorizons.com

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Review from Claire K (Mother of Child) published on 2 November 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We are extremely happy with Active Learning childcare. My son loves coming here and every day is packed full of fun activities and play to encourage learning, keep him active, gain confidence, make friendships and learn new things. He loves the sports lessons and the teacher. Enjoys exploring different
materials and techniques in art. He especially loves going in the garden to play on the scooters and bikes. My son always comes home and tells us about all the things he has done that day, and especially enjoys telling us about his swimming lesson. All the staff are friendly and my son knows them all by name and is always happy to see them. If any issues arise, staff and management are approachable and keen to resolve as quickly as possible. I would highly recommend.

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Review from Dannii K (Mother of Child) published on 2 November 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been attending Active Learning Dorking since she was eleven months old (now three). She adores her time here, she talks about the things she does and the staff fondly. The most important aspect for us when selecting a suitable nursery for my daughter was the initial "feel" as you entered
the space. Each member of staff always greets you with a wonderful smile and a "hello, how are you". To know that your child is being looked after by people who genuinely care about her wellbeing does wonders! The range of activities the children do is fantastic and I feel that my daughter enjoys her time here almost as much as being at home with her parents!

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Review from Emily K (Mother of Child) published on 31 October 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have very recently ‘graduated’ from this amazing nursery, where my twins were going full time for four years. They have had the most amazing time there and still talk about their ‘little school’ so fondly. The staff and management are what makes this nursery, which is such a nurturing, loving, caring
and creative fun place. The fun the kids had there was second to none. Their art teacher is an amazing teacher, passionate about creativity and individuality and has made my kids and everyone in their class absolutely love art and use their imagination to create anything from anything. The management are excellent too, really quick to respond to any of your needs, making this place such a friendly, family feel to the place. Would wholeheartedly recommend this place.

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Review from Jodi R (Mother of Child) published on 31 October 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I'm extremely happy with Bright Horizons, Dorking. My Daughter is very happy there, she is always full of smiles when I pick her up and keen to tell me about her fun day. This validates that the staff and care are excellent, they are extremely accommodating and I would recommend to others.

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Review from Sinead (Mother of Child) published on 30 October 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Amazing staff, amazing management, helpful, caring and clean. My children love coming to nursery, they wake up with a bright smile every morning ready to start their day of fun learning at the nursery.

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Review from K C (Mother of Child) published on 4 October 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

What really makes this nursery are the staff - the management have a wonderful team working with them. They offer a very nurturing and caring environment. My daughter is in the baby room and seems to be having great fun - she's stimulated by the different activities on offer and has settled really quickly.


The

staff take the time to get to know the children and build rapport with them. You can see this growing day by day.

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Review from K R (Mother of Child) published on 24 August 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has attended the nursery since we moved to Dorking 2 years ago and my daughter recently joined in the baby room. My son had been at a much smaller nursery before and I had some initial concerns about him settling in. There was no need! It has been wonderful to see the impact of the focused age
groups on his development and we are constantly impressed by the how much he is learning in pre-school.


The nursery has a real family feel - all the staff know every child and say hi to them as they move around the building. My daughter has taken to the baby room very quickly and it's great to have the peace of mind that she is in such safe, caring and nurturing hands.

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Review from Laura C (Mother of Child) published on 16 August 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son is in the baby room. The staff (at all levels) have gone out of their way to help him settle in and keep him happy. I was initially worried about leaving him in a nursery but my fears were completely unfounded! I can't say how happy I am with the environment and staff at Active Learning Dorking
and wouldn't hesitate to highly recommend it.

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Review from Deirdre O (Mother of Child) published on 16 August 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Amazing nursery. My daughter has attended since 6 months old. The staff provide a safe and nurturing environment.


As I work full time, I was worried that my daughter would not get extra activities as most clubs do not run at weekends for under 4s. At Active Learning, she has regular ballet lessons,

sports, languages, nursery lessons and art, she's even been able to join in with the swimming lessons. I can't stress enough how each of the staff have developed her imagination. They also get a child who could have been a fussy eater, eating food that she normally refuses at home!


Good to point out that they have webcams which mean that you can log in and see how your child is doing.

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Review from Hannah H (Mother of Child) published on 11 July 2017
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The nursery is a brilliant place, my daughter is so happy there.
Her days are filled with lots of activities and fun, she really does enjoy going.
The staff are great, so kind and friendly.

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Review from Stephanie B (Mother of Child) published on 11 July 2017
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

An outstanding nursery, lots of activities (art/sport/music/French/ballet and swimming)
Children are well looked after and happy. I have had different siblings at this nursery for over 3 years now and have seen it grow and it keeps getting better.

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Review from A M (Mother of Child) published on 11 July 2017
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We have really enjoyed our experience with Active Learning, Dorking. We have sent our two boys to the nursery and both have loved the activities, movement to different rooms for various activities (art, ballet and sports) and especially the carers and their great mentors.
We found that our son was
well prepared and above standard when it came to starting school. (Socialising, writing, letter and name recognition)

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Review from Cheryl F (Mother of Child) published on 3 July 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

The new manager has made this nursery extra special. She is reassuring and kind and has clearly made a difference. I love how happy my daughter is with everyone. She does things that she wouldn't be able to at home and has learned to share with other children because of nursery.

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Review from N C (Mother of Child) published on 19 June 2017
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I am very pleased with how my daughter is progressing with her learning at the nursery.
The staff are very friendly and always very positive about how her day has been.
She is very happy going to nursery and we never have a day where she doesn't want to go.

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Review from Julia C (Mother of Child) published on 12 June 2017
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My child attends this nursery three days a week. He is excited about going and comes home happy. The staff are happy, caring and fun. The range of activities is fantastic, particularly sport, art and swimming as well as pre-school learning. The management is excellent and quick to deal with any queries.
I would thoroughly recommend this nursery.

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Review from N C (Mother of Child) published on 4 April 2017
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I am delighted by the progression my daughter has made in the last 3 months of starting at Active Learning. She has enjoyed learning the months of the year, planet names, counting, letters, as well as the art work, sports, ballet and swimming. The staff are very friendly and caring towards my daughter.
As a mother, I feel very uncomfortable leaving her in nursery 4 days per week. It is a nursery that I would highly recommend.

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Review from Gavin L (Father of Child) published on 28 March 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Both of my sons have had an amazing time at his nursery. The friendliness of the staff immediately puts the children and parents at ease. Substantial effort has been made to provide a range of development activities, with dedicated staff members leading sport, art and pre-school lessons. Special theme
days are also well supported enthusiastically including world book day, mothers day, and charity events such as red nose day. The menu is well balanced and currently well received by my youngest. I would have no problems recommending this nursery to family and friends.

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Current Review Score: 9.6 (9.646)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.6 (9.646) out of 10 for Bright Horizons Dorking Day Nursery and Preschool is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 14 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.8 out of 5 from 14 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:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.859 for Bright Horizons Dorking Day Nursery and Preschool is calculated as follows: ( (141 Excellents x 5) + (21 Goods x 4) + (1 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 163 Ratings = 4.859

  • b) 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 4.787 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Bright Horizons Dorking Day Nursery and Preschool is based on 14 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4

    • ii) 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 89 number of registered child places is 17.8. 14 Positive Reviews ÷ 17.8 = 0.787

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

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Awards / Recognitions (4)

Top 20 Large Nursery Groups 2019

Recipient: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Ltd

Date: Tuesday 30 Apr 2019 More details

Top 20 Large Nursery Groups 2018

Recipient: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Ltd

Date: Thursday 01 Mar 2018 More details

Top 10 Large Nursery Groups 2017

Recipient: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Ltd

Date: Wednesday 01 Mar 2017 More details

Meet the Team (2)

Pippa

Pippa

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Since gaining my NNEB qualification in 1995 I began my career in Childcare, and have worked within Bright Horizons since 2003 where I have worked in various settings across the regions, starting as a Nursery Nurse and working up to my current role as Nursery Manager since 2013.

I enjoy all aspects of my role and work alongside my team to provide the children in our care with the best opportunities for learning and play.
... Read more
Paige

Paige

Job Title: Deputy Manager

Paige has been with Bright Horizons since 2016, during which she completed her Level 3 Diploma in Children’s Learning and Development. Starting as a nursery assistant, she steadily advanced to the position of Deputy Manager. Currently, Paige serves as the nursery’s SENCO (Special Needs Coordinator) and holds a Level 3 Award in Early Years SEN Coordination. At Dorking, the team collaborates to ensure all children under their care receive enriching learning opportunities conducive to their growth and development.

Paige is deeply committed to providing exceptional care and provision to the children, fostering a nurturing, safe, and joyful environment. Witnessing the children's learning, development, and progress within the nursery brings her immense joy and fulfilment.
... Read more

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