The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

A nurturing and creative environment where every child feels safe, valued, and inspired to learn through play

145 Perry Hill, London, SE6 4LP

Mon - Fri: 07:30 - 18:30

Age: 3 - 60 months

Fee table

About The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School is an OFSTED GOOD (2023) nursery in Catford, on Perry Hill. Our nursery offers a home-from-home, nurturing environment for children from 3 months to 5 years, where safety is paramount and strong safeguarding and caring relationships help every child feel secure, known and valued.
Our inspiring indoor spaces are filled with planned experiences that encourage independent choices in play, from exploring family photo books to learning about festivals and different cultures, helping children appreciate the world around them. Our caring professional team focuses on building strong attachments with each child and family from the very beginning, laying the foundations for trust and confidence.
Our separate garden areas for different age groups give children room to extend their own learning outdoors, think creatively and express themselves through varied resources. Outdoor play may include hands-on, messy and imaginative activities that spark curiosity, problem-solving skills and a lifelong love of learning, all supported by close family partnerships that create a strong sense of belonging.
Could The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School be the warm, community-focused start your child enjoys every day? Book a tour today and explore our welcoming spaces.

Nursery Facilities

Discover the facilities available at our nursery and how they support your child's care, learning, and development.

Buggy Store

A dedicated space to safely store your buggy during the day, making drop-off and pick-up easier and hassle-free.

Our Nursery Fees

We understand how important it is to have a clear picture of the costs associated with your child's care. Our fee sheet is designed to be transparent and straightforward, so please click below and take your time to look through it.

You can also learn more about fees and funding options on our dedicated pages Fees and funding page

If you have any questions at all, please do get in touch. We are always happy to talk things through with you.

Our Fees

Nutritional Approach

We believe food is fundamental to healthy growth, happy minds, and positive lifelong habits. In the earliest years, what children eat shapes taste preferences, supports brain development, and lays the foundations for long-term health.

All meals are freshly prepared on site each day using quality, seasonal ingredients. Our menus are developed with expert guidance, designed for inclusion, and go beyond Early Years Foundation Stage requirements. We want every child to become a confident, curious eater.

Our Menu

Meet Our Nursery Manager

Ashleigh Lafford

Hi, I'm Ashleigh. I've worked in childcare since 2012 when I was fresh out of university. In that time, I completed a Level 3 qualification and my Level 5 in Early Years Lead Practitioner.

I went into childcare to help develop and give children the best start to their life, ensuring they develop an understanding of what it is to be healthy and happy in a safe space. I am in childcare to be a role model, a child's voice, and to inspire children to be who they want to be.

What to Expect on Your Nursery Tour

Our Next Open Day

Meet our friendly team

Learn about our curriculum

Explore funding options

Explore our rooms and areas

Our Commitments

Our curriculum is built around five core commitments that guide how we nurture every child.

Critical And Creative Thinkers

Nurturing curiosity and confidence to imagine, test ideas, and solve problems through exploration.

Sense of Belonging

Building secure, trusting relationships so every child feels safe, valued, and confident.

Explorers of Our World

Connecting children to nature through outdoor experiences that build resilience and independence.

Confident Communicators

Supporting every child to express themselves in ways that are meaningful to them.

Happy and Healthy

Encouraging physical activity, healthy eating, and joyful experiences that support lifelong wellbeing.

Our Curriculum

Our curriculum is designed to support the whole child through four interconnected areas: Happy Healthy Me, Confident Communicators, A Sense of Belonging and Curious Explorers. Together, these help nurture children's wellbeing, communication skills, sense of identity and natural curiosity.

Through Happy Healthy Me, we focus on physical and emotional development, promoting active play, healthy routines and resilience through achievable challenges. Confident Communicators builds strong language skills through stories, songs, conversations and imaginative play. A Sense of Belonging creates an environment where every child feels valued, included and connected, while Curious Explorers encourages hands-on investigation, problem-solving and open-ended play. Our approach supports children to grow as healthy, confident and inquisitive learners who feel secure in themselves and excited about the world around them.

What Parents Say About Us

9.3

Review Score for The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

41 reviews

June 21, 2025

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Our daughter loves it here and the staff are so kind and caring.

B M

June 15, 2025

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Our daughter is 7 now but she enjoyed her time at Dulwich Day Nursery so much that she still insists on going back and visiting her much loved teachers. Almost all of whom are still there. DDN gave our daughter a great start in life.

A S

June 14, 2025

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

My son attends nursery here and he loves coming! The staff are always friendly and welcoming. They always care for him so well and report every day how his day has been. The rooms are always so clean and you can tell the staff really care about the children.

Lucy S

May 10, 2025

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

I'm very pleased with The Dulwich nursery. It was emotionally difficult to end my maternity leave and put up with a thought that my baby has to be taken care of by other people. But with Dulwich nurseries carrying and loving staff, my worries and concerns were eased and I just enjoyed every day seeing how my boy was learning to adapt to a new environment. The rooms for babies are spacious and bright which I was finding hard to come by in the area. Every day nursery sends a report describing the plays and joys of a little one, and sometimes adding pictures. I could not be more pleased with our choice for our little one. Highly recommended!

K V

April 22, 2025

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

I have seen my grandson trive at The Dulwich Day Nursery, he is confident, he is learning new thing every day. The staff are all amazing with the children. I so look forward to the photoes and feedbacks on my grandsons day. I can leave my grandson and have peace of mind. The Dulwich Day Nursery comes with outstanding recommendation.

Vivienne W

October 3, 2024

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Both our children (3 and 18 months) have been attending since August 2024. The management team and staff took so much time and effort into ensuring the children's settling period was smooth and supportive for them, and us too. We have been blown away by how welcoming, friendly, and informative the staff have been - from the warm welcome we receive on nursery days at the door and extra support with toileting our three-year-old. Their communication - face-to-face, and via the app is regular and informative and it is evident they are a good team and look after one another, which is so important. Staff go to so much extra effort with events- their most recent being the circus fun day, which was fantastic. This also gives opportunities for families to chat to staff without any pressures, and meet other parents. Thank you, everyone - we really appreciate your care and support.

Ruth T

October 2, 2024

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

I really enjoy the communication and overall energy at the nursery. My son settled in quite quickly at the beginning of the year and 9months in I've seen a tremendous improvement in his speech, confidence and overall happiness since attending the nursery. His key worker is brilliant along with the rest of the staff. Highly recommend the staff, it would be great to get to socialise with the other parents more but it's so busy with drop-offs and pick-ups.

Ebony D

June 25, 2024

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

The Dulwich Day Nursery and Preschool is a conducive environment for learning. The staff are friendly, accommodating and smart. There are enough toys, teaching aids for kids.

Joseph O

June 25, 2024

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Excellent nursery. The level of care and focus on development has been continually first-class.

R T

June 22, 2024

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Really positive experience, all the staff have been great and my daughter has settled in great.

C G

June 22, 2024

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

The staff are very caring and engaged. The team have created a lovely atmosphere - you feel your child is in safe hands.

P P

April 8, 2024

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

My son attends The Dulwich 4 days a week. He spent his first year in the baby room and has recently transitioned through blooms into blossoms. He has the most wonderful time there. All the staff are so friendly, kind, attentive and caring. It's so reassuring to leave our child with people you know truly care about them and their development. We couldn't be happier.

I A

March 24, 2024

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

My son has been attending since just before his 1st birthday. He has absolutely thrived through the two years he has been here. The staff have been nothing but supportive of his development and has formed great friendships with his co-pupils and a genuine bond with many members of staff. The nursery staff and management continue to go from strength to strength, and they deserve all the credit for navigating some difficult staffing shortages historically, I will have no qualms in sending my newborn here when the time comes.

O I

March 23, 2024

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

The staff are so supportive, providing a safe nurturing environment. My kid has gained confidence and loves going to Dulwich.

G D

March 20, 2024

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

My son settled really well at nursery and has continued to develop and thrive. Every member of the team is lovely and personable and treats my son with so much love and care. It’s hard to leave your child with other people, but I feel so assured that he’s safe and happy.

Kat R

March 20, 2024

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Both our children are at the nursery, with our four-year-old being here since she was one, and our one-year-old being here for the last six months. We value the size of the nursery, which allows both our children to genuinely be loved by the staff, and to get time together in a formative period. We also appreciate the regular and informative communications from the nursery. The stage is always receptive and trying to do better, which makes us feel like they care about the community. While the outside space is nothing like a forest school, it is well-used and helps set up our children for activities outside of the nursery. Overall, we genuinely feel like the core staff cares for the well-being and happiness of our children.

S P

March 16, 2024

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

We have been absolutely thrilled with the Dulwich Day Nursery since we signed up. The length of the settling-in period far exceeded other local nurseries and ensured my son was familiar with the set-up before starting officially. Since he started, the staff have been consistently excellent - they are kind, patient and incredibly loving towards my son. He has formed lovely relationships with staff and is genuinely thrilled to see them. We’ve also found staff and management really flexible and child-centred. He loves the food (and always eats it all!) and the updates on the app each day bring us so much happiness (especially the photos!). We have loved the recent events put on (like the Mother’s Day tea and spring fun day) which have helped us feel connected as parents. I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about the nursery and we are so grateful to the amazing team for everything.

Lydia J

February 14, 2024

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

This nursery has some of the most dedicated staff that I have ever met. They care deeply for each child and they put their everything into making the nursery a place where each child feels loved, safe and happy.

Amanda A

December 9, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Ourselves and our daughter have had a brilliant time at the nursery so far! She has settled in really well and developed more than expected in her first few months. The team are lovely and always happy to assist with anything/any questions. We are looking forward to watching our child grow in such a lovely environment.

Emily H

April 28, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

I can’t praise Dulwich Day Nursery enough. The key workers are all excellent. They clearly take their responsibilities seriously and prioritise the well-being of the children. I feel confident that the EYFS framework underpins their practice and there is a strong sense of professionalism I get from all members of staff. And of course, my son is always happy to go in the mornings. Couldn’t ask for more in a setting.

Nadia S

April 11, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Very caring and supportive staff. My daughter is excited to go every morning and very reluctant to leave most evenings! A great mix of play and academic preparation for attending school (in the preschool room). They have a nice mix of art, science, cooking, languages, and active play.

K A

April 2, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Our daughter is very happy and has been since she started a year ago. She has grown in confidence, made friends and is learning every day, thanks to the staff at Penny Hill. The key workers have also been great and really positive. The management have been great at communicating.

C A

March 31, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

I cannot recommend the Dulwich day nursery highly enough! The level of care for our son is second to none; the daily activities are varied, creative and exciting - we love hearing about his day and can see how he is thriving under the care and guidance of the Dulwich day nursery team. Our son loves going to the nursery every day; he has built such a strong connection with his key workers and sees them as an extension of his family. The nursery has spent the last few months investing in brand new toys and equipment for the spaces and it’s genuinely lovely to see the staff get excited about the new tools at their disposal for all of the children. Thank you all for taking such good care of our son every day!

N L

March 31, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Fantastic nursery! We have been extremely lucky to have our two boys attending The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-school and could not have asked for a better place for them to spend their days. All staff are lovely and always happy to help and provide the best care for our children. Would highly recommend it!

D S

March 30, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Staff are really friendly and very caring. They get to know the children and feedback on their day to the parents. Lots of fun activities, arts and crafts, cooking, and also educational activities, always looking to support further development in the children while making it a fun, happy, nurturing environment for them. Really happy with my daughter's progress and the nursery and nursery staff. Highly recommended.

Fiona C

March 30, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

I’ve found the staff at Dulwich Day Nursery to be a good balance between professional and very caring. I get very good feedback for my 3-year-old son who’s in a preschool room. I’ve found the feedback very enabling with great observation that ties in with observations made at home by my wife and I. My son is thriving in his room and is very well taken care of. The nursery also seems to have a very good admin and management team as enquiries and queries I’ve had, have been dealt with very swiftly.

Emmanuel O

March 29, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Both my children attend this preschool. They only recently started but they are enjoying it, plus I love seeing their happy faces. The staff are very friendly and polite. The nursery is very clean and child friendly.

Z S

March 29, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Both my children love coming here. The staff are great and the place is well managed. It was good under the previous ownership but I can really see it has improved with the new owners and they have recently invested in the building and equipment.

J M

March 29, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

My 4-year-old and 1-year-old both go here and the staff are fantastic. They do loads of fun but educational activities with the children and are really warm and caring, but firm when they need to be. Food is cooked on-site and all the children know the cook and even bake, sometimes.

Sarah C

March 29, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Excellent nursery where staff clearly know the children very well, even if they are not in the same class. Staff and management clearly have an interest in the development of the children under their care and provide daily updates about this.

H G

March 29, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Very happy with overall experience. Enthusiastic key workers whose passion for the children really comes across. Our daughter is clearly excited to arrive in the morning and leaves in a happy mood when picked up!

Jamie M

March 29, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Our son is so happy here, lots of smiles when he arrives. All the staff are so friendly to him that we really feel reassured leaving him in their care. The activities are really engaging and we love hearing about what he has been up to. Food is really healthy too.

Mary W

March 29, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

My child has been at the nursery now for 18 months and loves it. The staff are always happy and willing to help you and your little ones the best they can. I had the pleasure of visiting before covid and was really impressed with the facilities and cleanliness of the rooms. The food always seems very good as my daughter eats more there than whatever I cook for her at home. They really helped her with potty training when she arrived, and the way they take time to understand her feelings and emotions I am always impressed with. They truly encourage her to be her best self. We will definitely be sending our next child there when she's a touch older.

Abigail F

March 29, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Our child has been at the nursery for two years. It’s recently been taken over by new management. The process appears to have been smooth with improvements being made to the rooms and outside spaces. Our three-year-old enjoys the activities and play. They’ve formed strong attachments to their care workers over the years. Staff have changed but I understand this is usual in nursery settings. The nursery has always responded to any feedback and requests (E.g for more pictures and updates) and we’ve been happy with it, overall.

A B

March 29, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Dulwich Day nursery is a friendly but well-structured nursery environment for my child. There is a variety of learning and activities planned every day. The meals cooked onsite are always diverse and nutritious.

J S

March 29, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

My daughter has attended for the past 18 months and really enjoys herself. She enjoys the variety of the activities provided and is always excited to talk about the staff, past and present. The impact the nursery has on her personal development is very noticeable.

A D

March 29, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

My baby just started in this nursery and everybody has been so supportive, helpful and friendly. The staff are very professional and we are so happy to have found this nursery. We leave our son, knowing he will have a good time and they will take care of him.

Greta G

February 14, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Both of our children have attended this Nursery, originally under different ownership but now under new owners, we have been extremely happy, with just our youngest now attending. Although a difficult number of months with Covid restrictions, the staff coped fantastically and reacted according to advice, as it changed. Our daughter has moved up to her second room and is coming on leaps and bounds and we are very grateful. We personally believe the take over has only improved the nursery and speaking to staff on open days, all were really happy and it’s noticeable. Thank you.

R P

February 14, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Our 1-year-old started in Oct 2021. She settled so quickly and has thrived since she started. She looks forward to her nursery days so much and now when I drop her off, she barely looks back at me as she marches through the door. The staff in her room are fab and she waves and holds her arms out now when she sees them. They run different and varied activities every day and she is constantly learning new things. I could not recommend this nursery enough.

Jessica M

February 14, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

I have had a great experience over the last year with my two sons, the teams are very good and provide very good care for them. The structure is very good and the team is very well prepared. I recommend the nursery.

Andre S

February 14, 2022

Review of The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Amazing nursery! Great parent communication and outstanding provision! My eldest child flourished at this nursery and my youngest started over a year ago and is loving every day! Great quality meals, amazing staff and a lovely setting. The outdoor garden is stunning and always full of wonderful activities for the children. Wonderful staff who are always happy to answer any questions I may have and discuss my daughter's day. Children learn about lots of different topics and the nursery covers the EYFS curriculum really well. My daughter's communication has really improved since starting and she loves venturing around the activities put out in her room and the gardens! Have been able to attend a parents' open day and just love the communication I receive about my daughter's day. I received a goody bag of wonderful crafts my daughter had made for Christmas and it's these little touches that I absolutely love! I highly recommend this nursery!

A P