St Hilary's Nursery and Kindergarten, Godalming
At St Hilary's Nursery and Kindergarten (Pre-School), in the heart of Godalming, children aged 2 to 4 enjoy a rich and varied programme of activities inspired by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. Learning is creative, purposeful, and designed to nurture curiosity, confidence and a lifelong love of learning.
Our large, bright, and welcoming learning spaces are complemented by excellent use of the wider school facilities. At St Hilary’s Nursery and Kindergarten, we foster a strong connection with the outdoors, making full use of our extensive woodland and all-weather outdoor areas. Each day is structured, following a timetable which is thoughtfully planned around each child’s interests, stage of development, and current topics, ensuring every child feels motivated, supported, and engaged. We are not just childcare, we are Early Years with purpose and the children enjoy sessions with specialist teachers, including mindfulness, music, STEM and sport. We are located in Busbridge, a short walk from Godalming Train Station and Godalming High Street.
Every child is supported by a dedicated Key Person who provides a familiar and trusted point of contact for both children and parents. With a dedicated and long-standing EYFS team, each Key Person develops strong relationships with families, offering reassurance, sharing progress, and addressing any concerns. They are responsible for nurturing, supporting, and challenging each child’s individual learning journey while carefully tracking their development. Of this we are very proud.
We believe strong partnerships with parents and carers are essential. Each family is a valued member of our community, and the warmth of our Nursery and Pre-School is evident in everything we do. Communication is open and encouraged, with staff available at the beginning and end of each session to share updates. We also use the Tapestry platform, giving parents and carers deeper insight into their child’s learning experiences. In addition, we hold parent meetings and regular Stay and Play mornings, offering families meaningful opportunities to be involved in their child’s early education.
Our experienced and highly qualified staff have high expectations for every child. By identifying individual next steps and learning goals, they ensure each child is appropriately challenged and supported to reach their full potential, with progress carefully monitored throughout.
I would be delighted to welcome you to our Nursery and Kindergarten and share what makes St Hilary’s such a special place and how we prepare our children for tomorrow’s world. Please contact our Admissions Manager, Sarah Wharf on admissions@sthilarysschool.com or 01483 521 723 or complete our enquiry form.
Julia Ranger
Head of EYFS and Pre-Prep
EYFS provision at St Hilary's:
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Nursery for 2 - 3 year olds
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Kindergarten for 3 - 4 year olds
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Reception for 4 - 5 year olds
Nursery and Kindergarten begin their day from 8.30am. There are two sessions available during each day, with the morning session ending at 12.00pm. The afternoon session begins at 12.30pm and ends at 4.00pm for both Nursery and Kindergarten.
A hot meal (chargeable) is provided for children who attend Kindergarten and for Nursery children who attend a full day or have a sibling in Kindergarten who stays for lunch, and who is also collected at 12.30pm.
Parents may have a choice of sessions, which are subject to availability. Sessions are typically set for the whole academic year.
A minimum of four sessions is required for children 2 - 3 years
A minimum of six sessions is required for children 3 - 4 years
We offer wrap-around care from 7.45am to 6.00pm.
Early Years Funded Education
Please note, we are a registered provider for Surrey County Council Funded Early Education for 3 and 4 year olds. This provides up to 15 hours per week of funded education in Nursery, Kindergarten and Reception up to and including the term of their fifth birthday. Each morning or afternoon session is 3.5 hours long and each session counts as 3 hours towards the entitlement.
Working Parents Entitlement
St Hilary’s offers up to 30 hours of working parents entitlement for 2 year olds and 15 hours for 3 and 4 year olds. The Working Parents Entitlement can be combined with the Universal 15 Hours Funding to access a total of 30 hours for 3 and 4 year olds. The 2 year old Working Parents Funding (where a family is eligible) applies from the term after a child turns 2. Please refer to our fee sheet for more information.
Parents must apply directly for the Working Parents Entitlement, and remain responsible for the regular renewal of their entitlement each term. St Hilary’s can only apply for the funding from HMRC, on receipt of the correct documentation.
Click here to check if your family is eligible, see FAQs and how to apply.
If your family is eligible, please contact Elle Lemon the School Finance Manager to request the appropriate school consent form to complete, and submit the eligibility code.
FEET Places
We offer one FEET funded place each academic year on a case by case basis. For more information please contact Hannah Wynn the School Business Manager.
Workplace Funding
We partner with several childcare providers and employers to offer the government approved Workplace Funding Scheme. If this is of interest to you or you would like to know more please contact Mrs Lemon, the School Finance Manager.
Childcare Vouchers
Your employer may offer the option of childcare vouchers which is a tax efficient way of paying for part of the fees. We are registered with several childcare voucher providers. Childcare vouchers can only be used for childcare, which includes Nursery fees, Kindergarten fees, Reception fees (up to the term of the child's fifth birthday), after school activities and before/after school care.
Parent Testimonal
"We have one child in Kindergarten and one child in Nursery and we could not be more thrilled with the level of outstanding care that is given.
St Hilary's offers a safe, loving, and nurturing environment with a core focus on stability. All of the Staff in EYFS, including the Head of Early Years, invest a huge amount of time in getting to know each child individually. The close bonds formed with each child enables staff to provide personalised care to aid a child's development. The school goes above and beyond to create an environment that excites young minds and helps the children to have a positive association with learning.
Having moved from a chain nursery setting, we have been astounded by the tenure and quality of the staff at St Hilary's. No temporary staff are used and our children have responded incredibly positively to the stability that St Hilary's provides.
The rooms are large, with small class sizes and the children are offered the chance to use the extensive school facilities. Trips to the library, forest, gym, lego room and offsite adventures on the school minibus have ignited a true excitement to go to school. Children also have access to the wider cohort of phenomenal teaching staff. Our son in Kindergarten now has access to lessons from specialist French, music, technology and sports teachers! There is a strong focus on phonics, writing and enhancing confidence through public speaking, all delivered in a way where learning has become fun. We cannot believe how he has developed academically but most importantly how happy he is to be in the classroom.
We make use of the wrap around care and the holiday club provision, both of which are excellent.
St Hilary's has restored then surpassed all of our expectations of Early Years childcare. Thank you so much for showing us how incredible Early Years education can be."