Nurseries in Haywards Heath - any recommendations?

[Biblio]

Can anyone recommend a good nursery in Haywards Heath? We are moving there from London in a few months (DD is 8 months old). Also any information about friendly mum and baby groups, activities etc would be very welcome too, I don't know anyone in the area and I am a bit worried about becoming a hermit! Many thanks.

Hi. I'm hoping to move there too! Have you found childcare yet?

I moved from London to a village near Haywards Heath about a year ago and have visited many of the nurseries or know friends who have children in them.

I assume you want 8am-6pm care - there are lots of pre-schools run by parent groups/charities that operate or only 3 or 6 hours a day during term time. No good for working mums!

For 8-6pm nurseries, these are my picks...

1. There is a small chain of Montessori nurseries in the HH and Burgess Hill area that is very highly regarded www.tudorhousemontessorigroup.co.uk/. The one in central HH doesn't have a great outside but seems to have lovely staff and is usually fully subscribed.
2. I'd say that the Elan nursery by the station is the most popular in the town. www.elannursery.com/haywards-heath-nursery.html. They didn't have the days I needed, otherwise I'd definitely have used it. The staff seem fantastic and it is very well run. However, it is large and there is almost no outside space. There is a nice soft play indoor space for the children to use though.
3. The chain Busy Bees took over a nursery in HH and my friend sends her kids there and is super happy with the experience (www.busybeeschildcare.co.uk/nursery/haywardsheath).
4. If you want a decent nursery with nice outside space you may have to go outside HH. For example, this place in Balcombe is lovely (www.cranbrooknursery.co.uk/setting-locations) and I think we may put our next baby here until they are old enough to transfer to a pre-school at 2.5 years.

One last consideration - the traffic in HH is awful between 8:30am and 9:15am so think about how nursery drop off will fit in with your day...

Thank you so much! I thought élan looked good. We would be gone by 815 though so hopefully will miss traffic. Not having outside space is a drawback though. Will check out the Montessori.

I apologise if you have already found childcare but I saw your post and thought I would let you know that the Montessori Group has opened a new nursery in Franklands Village in Haywards Heath and it has a beautiful outdoor space and plenty of parking. The nursery open fields and woodland at the the back.