Dicky Birds Day Nursery and Preschool Surbiton, Brighton Road

A garden with a planting area, mud kitchen and sensory features gives Brighton Road a clear outdoor character. Forest School adds outdoor learning led by a dedicated leader in purpose-built facilities, while a library gives books and storytelling their own space. These are useful anchors for families who want both physical exploration and quieter interests within the nursery day.

Dicky Birds accepts children from three months to five years and has 75 places in total. At its March 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, with education also judged Good. The strongest examples were practical: children experimented with materials, developed independence and worked through problems with staff support. Greater consistency in extending learning remained an improvement point.

Rooms and Ages

Four playrooms are spread across two buildings. Movement between them depends on children's readiness, giving development a part in the timing of room changes. For a family choosing care from babyhood through preschool, those transitions are an important part of the experience, alongside what happens within each room.

In March 2025, learning built progressively across the age groups. Babies explored gloop to exercise their fingers; toddlers used paint and sponges for mark-making; preschool children practised controlled cutting with scissors and string. The progression gave a concrete purpose to familiar play materials, building skills for later writing. Activities also followed children's interests, including making bubbles in a water tray.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the required framework for learning and care here: in March 2025, its everyday expression included sharing books with babies, developing toddlers' vocabulary through play and helping children choose resources independently. Those examples make the educational offer tangible for parents, from early communication to managing small tasks for themselves.

Alongside that framework, the group-wide Foundations for the Future programmes aim to build confidence, independence and skills for starting school. Make and Bake, Innovate and Investigate, and Sow and Grow add hands-on experiences. The curriculum gives children opportunities to explore ideas and solve problems at their own pace, while sports and PE sessions add physical activity. Yoga provides another way to practise movement and coordination.

In March 2025, toddlers tried different tools for making marks in sand, and older children worked out how to position bird boxes with adult encouragement. Staff gave children time to attempt tasks themselves. However, their intentions for children's learning were occasionally unclear, reducing opportunities to take play further. The improvement request centred on staff development so that support for learning became more consistent.

Outdoor and Community Life

Daily garden access brings planting, sensory exploration and mud-kitchen play into the current offer. In March 2025, leaders identified a need to develop outdoor play further and give children more opportunities to care for the environment. Forest School extends outdoor experiences through its dedicated leader and facilities. A minibus supports trips, and regular community outings take children to parks and nearby spaces, giving them experiences beyond the nursery itself.

Claremont Gardens and Victoria Park are nearby parks, and the nursery is also close to the River Thames. Children access local outdoor areas, although these named landmarks should be read as the nursery's surroundings rather than a fixed itinerary. In March 2025, outdoor play included children inventing their own mud-kitchen games and practising turn-taking and safe use of the slide.

Relationships and Communication

The nursery app provides updates about children's day, with parent evenings adding opportunities for fuller conversations. Guidance covers routines, development and transitions, and an information area holds resources for use at home. Together, these give parents several ways to stay involved in their child's experience.

At the March 2025 inspection, Ofsted found effective key-person care, suitable support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and effective safeguarding arrangements. Staff gathered information about individual routines and preferences, making care responsive to the child. For babies and children starting nursery, that attention to familiar habits was a meaningful part of settling.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCo role forms part of the current team, providing a point of coordination for additional needs. In March 2025, staff used individual learning plans and conversations with parents to understand children's development. This is a concrete support mechanism for families whose child needs care or learning adapted to their circumstances.

Independence also ran through daily routines in March 2025: children practised serving food, selecting play materials and managing toileting, with encouragement as they tried things. Meals are currently cooked on site by the nursery's chef, and eating together gives children opportunities to practise independence within a social routine.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 84 Brighton Road, Surbiton, KT6 5PP. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with care across the year and closures for bank holidays and Christmas. That calendar matters for families arranging childcare around work, especially when planning cover during the closure periods.

The branch's Book a Visit and Ask Our Team enquiry options provide routes for arranging a tour or discussing a child's needs. A personal tour is offered, giving families an opportunity to explore the two-building layout and the nursery's outdoor provision.

Getting There

Surbiton train station provides direct connections to central London, while Surbiton High Street and Kingston upon Thames are nearby. These local connections may suit families combining nursery care with travel into London or activities around Surbiton.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare was offered in March 2025, and funding remains part of the current nursery offer. Families considering funded care should distinguish their entitlement from the attendance and charge arrangements they agree with the nursery.

• Consistency in teaching. In March 2025, staff sometimes lacked a clear intention for what play should help children learn. Ask how staff development now helps practitioners extend children's ideas and learning.
• Room changes across two buildings. Children move between the four rooms according to readiness. During a visit, explore how the team decides when a child should move and how familiar routines carry across.
• Funding and everyday costs. Funded childcare forms part of the offer. Ask which entitlement and attendance arrangement would apply to your child, including the position on meals and care products.

Brighton Road suits families seeking care from babyhood through preschool who value outdoor exploration, practical learning and regular communication. Its garden, library and Forest School provision give that offer substance, while the app and parent evenings support involvement from home. The March 2025 educational examples were encouraging, with consistency in extending learning the clear reservation. The weekday opening window and year-round calendar also make it relevant to families organising childcare around work.