Nurseries in Guildford

Yes. Eligible working parents in Guildford can receive 30 funded hours a week from the term after their child turns 9 months. Surrey's current provider agreement covers this entitlement from 9 months through to school age for eligible working families.

Yes. Surrey nurseries can offer a stretched pattern rather than using all funded hours during term time. Surrey states that funded hours must be claimed weekly and cannot be banked or rolled into another week, so each Guildford nursery's stretched arrangement needs to be considered when choosing sessions.

Yes. Surrey permits a child's funded entitlement to be divided between different eligible settings. The total claimed across the settings cannot exceed the child's 15- or 30-hour weekly entitlement.

Yes. Surrey continues to operate Funded Early Education for Two-year-olds (FEET) alongside the working-parent entitlement. FEET provides funded early education for 2-year-olds who meet the economic or automatically funded eligibility criteria.

Guildford sits within Surrey's south-west early-years SEND sector together with Waverley. Surrey's specialist team supports nursery SENCOs with observations, SEND processes, early intervention strategies, transitions and applications for additional support.

Yes. Surrey operates Early Intervention Funding (EIF) for children receiving funded early education who need support beyond a setting's usual provision. Applications are based on the child's level of need and Surrey Support Plan.

From 1 April 2026, Surrey's Disability Access Fund is £1,225 per eligible child per year. Surrey's 2026–27 funding also provides combined Early Years Pupil Premium rates of £3.96 per hour for eligible 3- and 4-year-olds and £2.15 per hour for eligible 2-year-olds and under-2s.

Yes. Surrey County Council lists Guildford Family Centre – Bellfields as the official Family Centre serving Guildford. It forms part of Surrey's council-backed family support system for families who need additional help.

Guildford children can access Surrey's Specialist Early Education Service, including Portage. Portage provides an individualised home-based programme for preschool children with additional needs, with support reviewed termly and home visits offered according to the child's circumstances.

Nursery searches within Guildford town are concentrated mainly across GU1 and GU2, while parts of the wider Guildford area extend into GU3 and GU4. Central Guildford includes GU1 and GU2 sectors, while northern and southern parts of the borough extend into the surrounding GU districts.