The Old Barn Pre-Prep

140 High Street, Banstead, SM7 2NZ
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8.7 42 Reviews
  • The Old Barn Pre-Prep, Banstead
The Old Barn Pre-Prep is a private day care setting located in Banstead.

It is open full-time from 8:00am – 6:00pm, caring for children from three to five years.

The pre-prep is situated on the High Street, with its sister Nursery located on Woodmansterne Lane. Both sites have access to local towns and cities via the M25 and there is easy access by train for travel into London.

The Old Barn Pre-Prep provides an indoor and outdoor environment. The garden is a fantastic open space which allows the children to explore the world around them. Extending on their outdoor provision, children take trips over to the Nursery site located on Woodmansterne Lane where the children can partake in some Forest School Sessions on a weekly basis. There is a trained leader to open the children to real life experiences such as woodwork and campfires.

Staff encourage parent’s contribution to their child’s learning and ensure children develop skills and are well prepared to start school. They offer Parent's Evening throughout the year to continuously speak about their child's development so the staff can ensure each child's individual development is being catered for. They also organise exciting events throughout the year such as summer parties, Mother's Day events, Father's Day events and at the end of the year they hold a brilliant graduation event for the children to say their farewells before starting their exciting new adventure.

The Nursery and Pre-Prep offers children nutritionally-balanced, home-cooked meals. The cook freshly prepares the meals Monday-Friday.

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Care Provided by The Old Barn Pre-Prep

  • Type of Service
  • Day Nursery – Privately Owned
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Laura Malthouse (Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 4
  • Total Places for Children
  • 24
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 3 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 08:00-18:00
    Tuesday 08:00-18:00
    Wednesday 08:00-18:00
    Thursday 08:00-18:00
    Friday 08:00-18:00
  • When Closed
  • Bank Holidays & 1 week at Christmas

Funding & Fees Guide for The Old Barn Pre-Prep

  • Please contact us for a copy of our current fees or for any information on funding.

The Old Barn Pre-Prep Reviews (42)

Total of 42, showing 1-20
8.7

The Old Barn Pre-Prep has a Review Score of 8.7 (8.669) out of 10, based on 3 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time The Old Barn Pre-Prep has 42 reviews.

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Review from L R (Mother of Child) published on 20 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has been going to the old barn for 2 years now and I cannot recommend them enough. The children have daily activities that are carefully planned out for them and are centred around their learning and development. They regularly take trips to the park, forest school or to see the animals which
is the highlight of my son's week. The love, care and kindness the teachers show is irreplaceable and makes going to work so much easier. My son has developed the most amazing relationships with the teachers and I feel at ease knowing that he is loved and cared for so well when he is there. Two staff members in particular go above and beyond for the children whilst making all learning activities fun and exciting. The deputy manager gave me endless amounts of time and advice when I had difficulties with my son's speech/stutter which in turn has helped him progress and he no longer suffers with a stutter. A huge thank you to the old barn for making single working mum a little less tough!

Reply from Laura Malthouse, Nursery Manager at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you for your kind words in regards to the care you have been receiving over the last 2 years. The team have been working incredibly hard to be constantly improving their practice and the provision we have on offer. These posts really boost the team in wanting to keep pushing forward! It has been a pleasure to be part of yours and your childs nursery experience! You have been a wonderful family to look after!


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Review from Charlotte W (Mother of Child) published on 2 October 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been with The Old Barn since 6 months old and moved over to pre-prep last year. I can't express enough how amazing the girls working there are. They treat the children like family, they're kind, caring, patient and always doing new fun things to keep my daughter entertained. The Forrest
school is one of my daughter's favourite things to do in the week, and she never stops talking about all the new things she's learned and all the fun she's had. She loves all of the teachers there (she tells me this daily) and has even named some of her favourite dolls and teddy's after them. I would be lost without your support. Thank you for everything you do!

Reply from Amber Gower, Deputy Manager at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you so much for your lovely review. We really appreciate the kind words and they will be passed onto the team. We are so glad to have been a part of your little ones journey and we look forward to it continuing with us at the Pre Prep.


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Review from K C (Mother of Child) published on 25 April 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has been at the Old Barn from the day nursery up to the Pre Prep.
He has grown in confidence and I have seen him bloom from quite a shy character to one who is engaged and thriving with a solid group of friends. The environment is structured but in a safe and supportive way.
He always eats
the food and enjoys it and especially loves football and gymnastics (even showed me his yoga pose yesterday)
The preprep are currently getting the children ready for school, talking to them about a typical day, focusing on writing and familiarity with letters and numbers. He has always felt safe, secure and confident at the Old Barn and any issues I’ve had have always been addressed in a timely and professional manner. I will be very sad to see him leave in September and will look back with fond memories.

Reply from Laura Malthouse, Nursery Manager at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you for the lovely words in regards to your experience with The Old Barn Day Nursery and Pre-prep. It has been a pleasure to work with you and your family! I will be sure to pass your words on to the team as they will be thrilled to hear! Thank you!


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Review from Richard H (Father of Child) published on 23 June 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has been going here for almost a year now and has been very happy. I'm impressed with the daily updates from the staff and love looking at the pictures of the different activities they do. I would recommend this pre-prep to friends.

Reply from The Staff Team, Manager at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you for your fantastic review; we are delighted to hear your positive feedback.


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Review from Sarah E (Mother of Child) published on 27 April 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter who is four loves going here. She speaks very happily about all the different activities she does with her friends. The staff also send regular updates on her progress through pictures and posts on their app, so I get emails almost every day showing me what they have been doing. I love that
they spend a lot of time outdoors.

Reply from The Staff Team, Manager at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you for your kind review; we are delighted to hear your positive feedback.


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Review from L W (Mother of Child) published on 14 April 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter started at The Old Barn Pre-Prep at the beginning of April. It’s only been two weeks, and she has already settled so well. Three members of staff are an asset to the nursery and have been amazing at helping my daughter settle in. She comes home telling us about all the great activities she
has been doing such as baking, making play dough, gardening and art and craft activities. There are tasty, healthy menus, and it’s very rare that my daughter doesn't eat a whole meal when there. The nursery is well resourced with toys, equipment and the wall displays show off all the learning and skills the children have covered during their time there. They use an online system that is great for us parents, as it allows us to see updates of meals, sleep, activities they have done throughout the day and we can also access our child’s learning journey when we like to.
I would highly recommend The Old Barn Pre-Prep to friends and other parents, and we are so glad we joined here.

Reply from The Staff Team, Manager at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you for your fantastic review; we are delighted to hear your positive feedback and thoughts.


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Review from S J (Mother of Child) published on 9 July 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I just wanted to say thank you for making the arrangements for my daughter to return to Pre-Prep with such short notice. She was so excited to go and came out beaming yesterday, she had a wonderful first day back. A staff member saw us walking up the drive in the morning and came straight to the front
door where she greeted my daughter with the warmest welcome! She looked just as excited to see my daughter as my daughter was to be there. Another staff member was equally as lovely on collection. The way they are with my daughter helped to cement my decision for her to return to Pre-Prep. I realise this isn’t just a strange time for the children but for the adults too so for them to make it all seem so normal didn’t go unnoticed and I was grateful today for that!

Reply from The Staff Team, Manager at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you for your fantastic review. We are so pleased to hear how comfortable your daughter is being back with us.


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Review from A H (Mother of Child) published on 10 January 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I'm am very happy with how much my child has progressed. Their speech has come along so far since moving up to the pre-prep. I like that the children are able to be independent and explore. I am also a big supporter of the staff taking the children out regularly. The staff do a great job and my child
has made a good bond with them.

Reply from The Staff Team at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you for your wonderful review. We are so pleased to hear how well your child is progressing with us, and that they have made such strong relationships with the staff.


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Review from Sallie P (Mother of Child) published on 10 January 2020
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We are very happy with The Old Barn Pre-Prep. Our son has been at the nursery since he was one. Excellent care is provided and we would highly recommend it.

Reply from The Staff Team at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you so much for your fantastic review and kind recommendation. We are thrilled to hear how happy you are with the Pre-Prep.


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Review from E P (Mother of Child) published on 9 January 2020
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I am so happy that my little girl attends this nursery.
The staff were so welcoming and friendly that she had no problems settling in and really enjoys going there.
It's not just carers watching over the children as they play, they actually teach and nurture. I love that my little one is learning
too, to prepare her for school.
Wonderful place and wonderful staff!

Reply from The Staff Team at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We are delighted to hear how much your daughter enjoys attending and that she settled in so well. We are also glad to hear how well your daughter is developing and learning in preparation for school.


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Review from N P (Father of Child) published on 3 January 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has just moved to The Old Barn Pre-Prep and already we can see the difference. He is behaving better and listens more. He has learnt so much already and communicates a lot better thanks to the staff.

Reply from The Staff Team at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you for your wonderful review! We are delighted to hear how well your son is developing already after such a short period of time with us.


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Review from A A (Mother of Child) published on 12 December 2019
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter joined The Old Barn Pre-Prep in September 2019. We are welcomed by amazing staff members of lots of happy children. Previously my daughter had not attended nursery and this was overwhelming for us as a family however the transition from home to pre-prep was very smooth. My daughter loves
coming to school and she has excelled in all aspects i.e. her confidence, communication, writing, learning in leaps and bounds. We can not recommend this place enough. The team are fantastic.

Reply from The Staff Team at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you for your lovely review. We are so glad to hear how well supported you have been during your daughter's transition to nursery, and that she is developing so well.


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Review from Leah M (Aunt of Child) published on 10 December 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I pick up my niece regularly and see how happy she is at the Pre-Prep. She talks about all the activities she has done. The staff are always very welcoming and friendly, they are always doing something with the children and they all look happy. My sister and staff showed me the nursery, and I like the
outside space as well as the outdoor classrooms.

Reply from The Staff Team at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you for your fantastic review. We are delighted to hear how happy your niece is at Pre-Prep and how welcoming and friendly the staff team are.


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Review from Becky K (Mother of Child) published on 3 December 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My child has transitioned really well into Pre-Prep and the staff are a big part of this, as are the excellent facilities. Her flair for craft and drawing has very much been expressed and she has enjoyed being with old and new friends. She often comes home with a new fact or learning and I love the
fact she has a homework task each weekend. I really do think The Old Barn Pre-Prep has been excellent for her overall development thus far.

Reply from The Staff Team at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you for your fantastic review. We're delighted to hear how well supported your daughter has been during her transition to Pre-Prep and the development of her skills. We're also pleased that she has formed such strong relationships with her peers and the staff team.


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Review from L P (Mother of Child) published on 18 November 2019
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have always been very happy with The Old Barn Day Nursery and Pre-Prep. My son has been attending now for six months and he always loves his time here. The staff are friendly and welcoming, as well as very nurturing since moving to pre-prep. I have noticed how my son has progressed in his knowledge
of numbers and his writing. The staff were also extremely helpful when my son was potty training and with their input, we managed it within a week with no stress at all.

Reply from The Staff Team at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you very much for your wonderful review. We are thrilled to hear how happy you are with the Nursery and Pre-Prep and that your son is developing so well. We are also pleased to hear how nurturing and supportive the staff team are with children and parents.


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Review from S A (Mother of Child) published on 13 November 2019
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The Old Barn nursery is an excellent nursery. My daughter always looks forward to going and her progress, confidence and her behaviour, in general, has improved massively. I'm so thankful to the staff, they are brilliant and as it's a smaller nursery, they have more one to one interaction with the children.
It's a caring, safe environment and she has learnt a lot since going to The Old Barn Pre-Prep. Thank you.

Reply from The Staff Team at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are delighted to hear how much your daughter enjoys attending and that she is developing so well under the care of the staff team.


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Review from V G (Mother of Child) published on 29 October 2019
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

This has been a lovely environment for my little boy to grow and develop. It is a very caring and nurturing place and all the staff are friendly and caring.

Reply from The Staff Team at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you for your lovely review. We are thrilled to hear how happy you are with the Nursery and the staff team.


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Review from S F (Mother of Child) published on 26 September 2019
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I moved my son to The Old Barn due to personal reasons and it was the best decision I have ever made. Every aspect of the nursery is simply outstanding, all the staff genuinely care about each child and their needs. The forest school, trips, meals are all above expectations and my son always wakes up
ready to go and enjoys it every day. The staff and children are a credit to 'The Old Barn Brand.'

Reply from The Staff Team at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are delighted to hear how happy you are with all aspects of the Nursery and that your son enjoys attending so much.


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Review from John B (Father of Child) published on 29 July 2019
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I am very happy with my son's progress at The Old Barn Pre-Prep. Thank you to all the staff.

Reply from The Staff Team at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you so much for your lovely review. We're delighted to hear how happy you are with your son's progress at our Pre-Prep.


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Review from Rebecca K (Godmother of Child) published on 15 July 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I regularly come with mum to the Pre-Prep to collect a child and I am always blown away by all of the things the children are getting up to. The staff are always involved and the children look very happy. The little girl I come to collect always has pictures to bring home or has told me many things
she has done like cooking and going out.

Reply from The Staff Team at The Old Barn Pre-Prep

Thank you so much for your lovely review. We're thrilled to hear how impressed you are with the staff and the range of activities provided at Pre-Prep, and how happy the children are!


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Current Review Score: 8.7 (8.669)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 8.7 (8.669) out of 10 for The Old Barn Pre-Prep is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.8 out of 5 from 3 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 3.9 out of 5 from 3 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.794 for The Old Barn Pre-Prep is calculated as follows: ( (28 Excellents x 5) + (5 Goods x 4) + (1 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 34 Ratings = 4.794

  • b) 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5').

    The 3.875 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for The Old Barn Pre-Prep is based on 3 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 = 3.25

    • ii) 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 24 number of registered child places is 4.8. 3 Positive Reviews ÷ 4.8 = 0.625

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

Please Contact Us for Latest Vacancies

Awards / Recognitions (7)

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Meet the Team (2)

Laura

Laura Malthouse

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2023

My name is Laura and I have over 10 years experience working in the Early Years sector. I have roles such as Designated Safeguarding Lead, SENCo and Fire Warden. I pride myself on creating stimulating, enabling environments which allow children to learn through their play and have the freedom to express themselves in a supported environment.


I aim to ensure that the setting is a warm, natural and a home from home environment so the children are comfortable to explore. I love the outdoors and feel that the children should always have the freedom to choose if they would like to be indoors or outdoors. I take pride in always putting the children at the centre of everything we do here at The Old Barn Day Nursery & Pre-Prep.


Amber

Amber Gower

Job Title: Deputy Manager

Joined: 2013

My name is Amber and I have over 10 years experience working in the Early Years Sector. I pride myself in working closely with families to support the children with reaching their milestones across all ages at the setting. I keep myself up to date with all legislation and trends within the nursery sector and I imbed these across my whole team. I am a qualified Designated Safeguarding Lead for Surrey County Council and I use this training to ensure all children, families and staff are safe within the Old Barn Day Nursery and Pre Prep.


My main focus is to provide a calm, warm and homely environment where children and families feel comfortable and safe whilst they are with us. I am incredibly strong on parent partnerships and throughout the year I organise events to have the parents involved in their child's journey.


Frequently Asked Questions about The Old Barn Pre-Prep

What is the Age Range of Children that The Old Barn Pre-Prep accepts?

The Old Barn Pre-Prep accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is The Old Barn Pre-Prep Open?

The Old Barn Pre-Prep is open: Monday 08:00-18:00, Tuesday 08:00-18:00, Wednesday 08:00-18:00, Thursday 08:00-18:00, Friday 08:00-18:00.

How many Children does The Old Barn Pre-Prep have capacity for?

The Old Barn Pre-Prep has capacity for a total of 24 Children.

How far is The Old Barn Pre-Prep to the centre of Banstead?

0.4 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact The Old Barn Pre-Prep to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. The Old Barn Pre-Prep has an Enhanced Service – more info.