Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Former Children and Family Centre, Worthing Road, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 9JH

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Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school, Horsham

Southwater Day Nursery & Pre-school in West Sussex provides a nurturing and stimulating environment where children can thrive. The nursery features a dedicated Baby and Toddler Unit, opened in September 2022, offering a safe and engaging space tailored for the youngest children. This unit is equipped with carefully selected resources to support early development, with experienced practitioners delivering high-quality care.

The Pre-school, located on the grounds of Southwater Infant Academy, offers... Read more

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Type of Service

Day Nursery

Opening Schedule

Open all year

Full days available

Yes

Half day sessions offered

Yes

Group / Owner

The Nursery Family
Private Owned

Person in charge

Sallyanne Kasey (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

Total Places for Children

Age Range

from 0 years 3 months
to 5 years 0 months

Opening Times

Monday07:30-18:00
Tuesday07:30-18:00
Wednesday07:30-18:00
Thursday07:30-18:00
Friday07:30-18:00

When Closed

Between Christmas & New Year and 1 week in August (pre-school only)

Parking

Parking available outside the front of the School and residential parking with public footpath access.

Funding & Fees

We don't have fee or funding details for this nursery. Contact them directly.

Contact Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school to get a personalised quote:

Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school Reviews (54)

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9.8

Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school has a Review Score of 9.8 (9.764) out of 10, based on 15 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school has 54 reviews.

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Showing 54 reviews matching selected criteria

Review from B U (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2024 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

My son loves going to nursery. He always runs up to two ladies. They have been so attentive and understanding in regard to my son's health issues. Very happy we chose this nursery. He always eats very well as well as gives me ideas for new meals at home.

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↩Reply from Hannah Harber, Parent Liaison Advisor at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Hi - thank you for taking the time to leave this wonderful review! How lovely to hear how much your son enjoys going to nursery! I love the food too, whenever I visit the nurseries, I always make sure to arrive at lunchtime so I can have a little plate! We put a lot of work into our menu, working... Read more

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Review from Kayleigh M (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2024 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

My son loves coming to Southwater Nursery! He strolls in each morning with such confidence, and I’m thankful to two particular ladies and everyone else in the baby room for making his time with you such fun, that he’s so happy to come in.

He often comes running out holding his artwork up for me to see. It’s great to see he gets involved with many different activities while he’s there.

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↩Reply from Hannah Harber, Parent Liaison Advisor at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Thank you for taking the time to leave this lovely review - the team work so hard to make sure that every family feels safe and confident entrusting their children into their care, so it really is wonderful to read your comments. The team read every one of these reviews, and this will really make... Read more

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Review from T B (Father of Child) published on 13 March 2024 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

We have had a fantastic experience with the nursery. All the staff are friendly and really attentive to our son. He had some health issues recently, and the staff were really accommodating and reassuring whilst we adjusted to this. They are always really interactive, and our son always goes in with a smile on his face. His favourite lady, who is normally his key worker, and my child always runs up to her for a cuddle. She has been great, and it’s been lovely to watch his development over his time at the nursery.

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↩Reply from Hannah Harber, Parent Liaison Advisor at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

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Review from Stacey C (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2024 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

My daughter joined the nursery, in the baby room, in January 2024 and has settled in really well. She has never been sad to leave me at drop-off and gets so excited to go every single time!
All the staff have been amazing at easing my nerves and making me and my daughter feel very welcome.
My daughter has a very clear favourite when it comes to the nursery, her key worker, so much so that she doesn’t stop saying her name! Every time I tell her we need to get ready for nursery, she gets so excited and walks around the house saying “miss today, miss today”. It makes me so happy that she’s got such an amazing connection with a member of staff.

Overall, I am so happy with how she’s settled and what an amazing and positive environment it is for my daughter and all the other children to explore, learn and play. I couldn’t ask for a better nursery for her.

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↩Reply from Hannah Harber, Parent Liaison Advisor at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Good evening - thank you for taking time out of your day to leave such a wonderful review. It's wonderful to hear that your daughter has settled so well into nursery with the help of our team. We put a huge emphasis on that settling-in period, as it can be stressful for children (and parents!) to... Read more

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Review from Cheryl D (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2024 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

Our son transitioned a few weeks early from the toddler den to the preschool study. The team made sure there were enough settling sessions and provided feedback on collection.
One member of staff, in particular, has been an amazing support for the transition and our son loves running up to her in the mornings to give her a cuddle. Such a lovely welcome, this means a lot to us knowing my son is happy.

Thank you to everyone who is a part of his nursery journey and making it a positive experience for all of us.

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↩Reply from Hannah Harber, Parent Liaison Advisor at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Good evening - thank you for leaving such a lovely review. We understand that children are ready to transition onto the next room at different stages and this can be daunting for both the child and parent but our team of fantastic practitioners ensure that the transition is smooth with as many... Read more

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Review from V W (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2024 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

My daughter struggles to go in every morning, all of the staff are lovely when taking her from me, always reassuring. Whenever she comes out at pick up she always says she’s had a lovely day and there's a certain member of staff she always asks for. She loves playing with her, and asks every morning if she is going to be there! I feel 100% confident leaving my daughter at the preschool all day when I have to work.

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↩Reply from Hannah Harber, Parent Liaison Advisor at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Hi there - thank you for taking the time to leave your wonderful comments. I understand it can be difficult to leave your little one when they're crying. I can assure you that if there were any issues at all, or if your child was upset for any extended period of time, the team would absolutely call... Read more

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Review from Natalie B (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2024 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

We have always had a really positive experience of both the nursery and pre-school. The staff are friendly and work with you i.e potty training. The preschool has excellent outdoor space and makes use of the school grounds.

The only reason I only gave 4 stars for resources was because I'm not sure what they have in terms of ICT equipment.

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↩Reply from Hannah Harber, Parent Liaison Advisor at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Good evening and thank you for leaving your lovely review. We love our outdoor play and firmly believe that children thrive and flourish in nature! We are always developing our ICT equipment within the nursery - please don't be afraid to ask the team of examples on how we support the children with... Read more

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Review from Hannah M (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2024 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

Our daughter has been attending Southwater Day Nursery and Preschool since September and before that, our son was there for two years. All the staff are absolutely amazing, the level of care is fantastic. Our daughter is really happy and looks forward to going to preschool. As I said before, all the staff are amazing and both my children have loved them all. The nursery practitioner, the assistant nursery practitioner and two members of staff, in particular, have all been brilliant with both our children. Although one member of staff is new so haven’t known her as long, she has been fantastic with our daughter.

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↩Reply from Hannah Harber, Parent Liaison Advisor at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Hi there - wow, what an absolutely amazing review! We make sure to only employ the most passionate and dedicated practitioners in our nurseries and it is great to see that this is reflected in your daughter's attitude towards nursery. Reward and recognition are something we truly value at The... Read more

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Review from H P (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2024 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

We love Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school, they have been so warm and welcoming to our daughter. She was very shy when she started and settled in really well, her confidence has grown leaps and bounds. She is always coming back with stories of adventures she has had with her friends and the wonderful nursery practitioners. They all go the extra mile to ensure she has an enjoyable, happy day. They are great at encouraging creativity and she’s always coming back with things she’s made or drawn which she really enjoys. She loved taking part in the Christmas show and is looking forward to World Book Day.

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↩Reply from Hannah Harber, Parent Liaison Advisor at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Good evening - thank you for taking time out of your day to leave such a wonderful review. We make sure to only employ the most passionate and dedicated practitioners in our nurseries and it is great to see that this is reflected in your daughter's confidence. Reward and recognition are something... Read more

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Review from Kate A (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2024 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

Moved my 2-year-old to this nursery in August and after a few weeks of settling in, he is now bounding into nursery every day as he absolutely loves it. He has a great bond with his key carer who is such a lovely, calming and gentle person for my son to be around. I couldn’t be happier with moving nurseries, the support from the manager and the team has been great and really good communication which, as a working mum, is hugely appreciated. Thank you to all the team who do an amazing job in the toddler room.

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↩Reply from Hannah Harber, Parent Liaison Advisor at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Hi - thank you for your lovely words, I am really happy to hear that your little one has settled so well within the nursery. We put a huge emphasis on that settling-in period, as it can be stressful for children (and parents!) to start at a new nursery, so it's really great to see that it is... Read more

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Review from Rebecca K (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2024 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

Really pleased with the quality of my daughter's care. Her development is coming on in leaps and bounds and she is so happy to be there. Management manages everything well and responds to emails and queries quickly. My daughter has a very positive relationship with her key worker and has a lovely relationship with her. The room leader seems to be well organised and is spoken about at home regularly. The chef has had her eating a lovely variety of food and we are struggling to match this at home! Our previous experience with childcare was very negative, I am delighted my daughter has had the chance to flourish at this nursery. We are fully confident in her transition to pre-school later in the year, I feel everyone is knowledgeable and doing the best for my daughter and she is doing so well as a result.

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↩Reply from Hannah Harber, Parent Liaison Advisor at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Hi, thank you for taking time out of your day to leave this wonderful review. We make sure to only employ the most passionate and dedicated practitioners in our nurseries and it is great to see that this is reflected in your daughter's development. I love the food too, whenever I visit the... Read more

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Review from E W (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2024 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

The nursery practitioners all take such good care of our son. He is so happy at pre-school and is being prepared really well for starting school. We really appreciate the SEN support he is given.

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↩Reply from Hannah Harber, Parent Liaison Advisor at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Thank you for your lovely words, I am really happy to hear that your son is gaining such strong foundations to start school with! The team work so hard to make sure that every family feels safe and confident entrusting their children into their care, so it really is wonderful to read your comments.... Read more

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Review from Kate T (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2024 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

Our son absolutely loves going to pre-school at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school family.
He has come on leaps and bounds in every way imaginable; speech, confidence, storytelling, dancing and so much more.
He started at the nursery where one member of staff fast became his bestie. She also supported me as a new mum on a number of occasions.
Over at pre-school, another member of staff has become a second mum to him. Her caring, ever-smiling persona is so uplifting. And again, her advice is always so helpful.
The nursery practitioners really love to ensure the children have fun in a safe environment.
Our son comes home telling us of his adventures, whether it be he’s been playing on the tennis course, finding slugs in the woods or having tea at the seaside (imaginative play).
The food must be superb as our fussy eater has second and third helpings!

Thanks for everything you do ladies.

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↩Reply from Hannah Harber, Parent Liaison Advisor at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Hi there, thank you for taking time out of your day to leave this wonderful review. We make sure to only employ the most passionate and dedicated practitioners in our nurseries and it is great to see that this is reflected in your son's development. I love the food too, whenever I visit the... Read more

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Review from Samantha B (Mother of Child) published on 24 October 2023 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

We’re extremely happy with this preschool our daughter attends. She is exceptionally happy and from her settling-in days (September 2022) she’s never had a teary or sad moment about going. She loves the variety of both indoor and outdoor options and always talks fondly of the adults (particularly the Nursery practitioner and the Assistant Nursery practitioner). As she’s a September-born child, she’s having to be the big girl and stay an extra year, she seems happy to go still and help with the younger ones! Also, she demolishes her hot meal daily (plus extras I’m told!) so we recommend the hot food option from the on-site chef, so thanks to the chef too. The office has always responded very quickly and helpfully to any emails too.

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↩Reply from Hannah Harber, Parent Liaison Advisor at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Hi - thank you for taking the time to leave this review. It's wonderful to hear that your child has settled into nursery with the help of our team. We put a huge emphasis on that settling-in period, as it can be stressful for children (and parents!) to start at a new nursery, so it's great to see... Read more

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Review from E F (Mother of Child) published on 12 April 2022 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

I love my daughter's nursery, it’s clean and safe. She comes home very happy and tired. They do lots with them, and it’s a really lovely setting. She is developing as she should be, and that is thanks to the staff.

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↩Reply from David Hancock, CEO at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Thank you for taking the time to write such a lovely review - it always makes me so happy to hear that our children enjoy our setting and that she is coming home worn out from a fun day! The team, work really hard to make sure that we are providing fun, exciting, and enriching learning... Read more

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Review from Hannah W (Mother of Child) published on 21 February 2022 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

Couldn’t be happier with the nursery. They look after my daughter so well. She often goes in without even saying bye because she’s so excited.
The activities they do, the facilities and the teachers are all amazing.

Thank you for looking after my daughter.

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↩Reply from David Hancock, CEO at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Thank you for this review Hannah, and thank you for allowing us the opportunity to care for your daughter. It's always great to hear when our little ones are excited to come into the nursery; the team are so passionate about providing fun and interesting learning experiences for the children to enjoy! The team will be really pleased to read your comments, thank you.

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Review from S G (Mother of Child) published on 18 February 2022 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

My son started in January, and even though he has only had a month here, I have seen a big improvement in his behaviour at home and with other children. He has grown confidence in making new friends and can entertain himself alot better.

He never has a problem going into the nursery, which I am so relieved to see. The staff are brilliant with him, and he enjoys their company. Overall, I am very happy with his start at nursery and very proud of him for settling in so well. Thank you to all the team.

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↩Reply from David Hancock, CEO at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Thank you for this lovely review. I'm really happy to hear that your son has settled in so well! It's great to hear that his nursery experience is having a positive impact on other parts of your son's life, and it is always a huge testament to the team when a little one happily comes into the... Read more

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Review from Marie C (Mother of Child) published on 11 February 2022 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

Our daughter enjoys the activities this preschool has to offer. Especially when they go out, such as to the library or to the woods! Her favourite thing they have done was the nativity show, and what a lovely show that was!

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↩Reply from David Hancock, CEO at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Thank you for your lovely review - It's wonderful to hear that your daughter is enjoying her Preschool journey. We love to go out and about, it's a great opportunity to learn about the world around us. I absolutely loved the nativity too, the children were just brilliant.

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Review from Bianca T (Mother of Child) published on 11 February 2022 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

This is such a lovely pre-school. My daughter loves it here, from the fun resources and activities to the brilliant attentive staff. She loves her time there with all her friends and has grown so much in confidence.

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↩Reply from David Hancock, CEO at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

What a lovely review; thank you so much for taking the time to leave it. It's wonderful to hear that your daughter loves her preschool and has made lots of friends! We love to provide fun activities that promote confidence and independence, and it's great to hear that your daughter is benefiting so... Read more

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Review from L G (Father of Child) published on 10 February 2022 Submitted via Website•

Overall Experience

Staff are very friendly, and our son has settled in so well. He is becoming more independent and learning new skills such as sharing and tidying up after himself. It's great they are flexible with drop off and pick up to fit in with our lifestyle.

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↩Reply from David Hancock, CEO at Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school

Thank you for taking the time to leave this review. I'm really happy to hear that your son has settled in well and is enjoying his nursery journey. We work hard to make sure we help the children develop independence and social skills such as sharing; I love to hear that he is developing these... Read more

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Child Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

News (0) & Events (0)

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Awards / Recognitions (6)

31 Mar 2025Recipient: The Nursery Family
28 Mar 2024Recipient: The Nursery Family
28 Apr 2023Recipient: The Nursery Family

Accreditations

There are no accreditations posted yet for Southwater Day Nursery and Pre-school.

Meet the Team (3)

Jamie GearingJob Title ManagerJoined 2013

I've been working at Little Acorns for 7 years starting off as an apprentice and gaining experience with a variety of courses and children from all walks of life.

I love Little Acorns I enjoy allowing children to access their silly side and encourage them to use their imaginations to explore the world around them, to engage and challenge themselves to find what they're are capable of. Read less

Tereza KennedyJob Title Nursery PractitionerJoined 2019

I absolutely love working at Little Acorns, I always try to be a positive role model for the children and ensure their environment is stimulating and engaging to give them endless opportunities to learn and develop. It is amazing that I am able to teach the children something new and then watch the excitement and accomplishment of their new skills. Also watching the children whilst they play – how their imagination works, makes me smile! Read less

Kirsty FarleyJob Title Assistant Nursery PractitionerJoined 2011

I love working at Little Acorns, in my 9 years there I have enjoyed watching the children grow and flourish. They come in happy and have as much fun as I do playing with all the different resources we have on offer. I look forward to many more yours of helping children to expand their ideas and make great friendships. Read less

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