Surbiton High Pre-School – FAQs

We are aiming to open the Surbiton High Pre-School in the course of 2027. The opening date is currently to be confirmed, and further information will be shared with prospective registered families as soon as possible.

Children will be able to join the Pre-School from the September after they turn three years old. 

Yes. Surbiton High Pre-School is a co-educational environment, welcoming both boys and girls. 

This reflects our ambition to provide children with a shared Early Years experience before they can then move into either Surbiton Boys’ Prep or Surbiton Girls’ Prep for Reception to benefit from the single sex environments created within each School. 

Children will benefit from a common Early Years approach, shared values and strong continuity in their learning and development, while becoming familiar with the wider Surbiton High School community. 

Children should be generally confident in using the toilet, but appropriate support will be provided in line with their age and individual needs. 

White branded polo shirt and dark green jogging bottoms available from AlleyCatz. We would also ask that a change of clothes is brought in for pre-school children to change into should it be needed. 

The Pre School day will run from 8.00am – 3.30pm. 

The morning session will run from 8.00am – 12.00pm.  

The afternoon session will run from 12.30pm – 3.30pm. 

Yes, families requiring additional wraparound care can also access: 

• Breakfast Club: 7.30am – 8.00am. this is provided at Surbiton Assembly Rooms on Maple Road. 

• After School Club: 3.30pm–6.00pm. This is based within the Pre-school classroom. Breakfast Club and After School Club can be booked through SchoolsBuddy to allow full flexibility for parents. Further information will be provided to families joining the Pre School. 

Further information about arrangements for children moving between Breakfast Club and the Pre-School will be provided to families before joining. 

Lunch will be served in the Surbiton Assembly Rooms on Maple Road. Menus will be shared with parents at the start of each term.  

Yes. Our catering company, Lexington, provide a range of allergy free food on a daily basis, to cater for all allergens.  

Our Pre-School will follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) as the foundation for children’s learning and development. 

Alongside the EYFS curriculum, children will benefit from the wider educational opportunities and specialist teaching provision available within Surbiton High. 

Our approach will place significant emphasis on learning through play and high-quality continuous provision, enabling children to explore, investigate, create, communicate and develop increasing independence.

Yes. Children will benefit from specialist teaching, including: 

• Music 

• Physical Education 

• Languages 

Children will also attend Forest School once each week at our Hinchley Wood playing fields, giving them regular opportunities to learn, explore and develop confidence outdoors.

One of the significant benefits of our Pre-School is the opportunity to view the Early Years Foundation Stage as a coherent two-year journey, rather than treating Pre-School and Reception as separate experiences. 

Throughout the Pre-School year, we will focus on developing the strong foundations children need to flourish in Reception. This includes communication and language, early literacy and mathematics, physical development, independence, curiosity, resilience, positive relationships and the confidence to engage enthusiastically with learning. 

Children will become familiar with the routines, expectations and environment of Surbiton High, supporting a confident and positive transition into their Reception year. 

Yes. Surbiton High Pre School accepts the universal 15 hours of funded early education available to eligible three and four-year-olds. These funded sessions run from 12.30pm – 3.30pm, Monday to Friday. A child attending all five afternoon sessions would therefore be able to access the full 15–funded hours each week during the weeks in which the Pre School operates. 

Yes, childcare vouches can be put towards the payment of the Pre School fees. 

The fees will be billed termly with payment by Direct Debit on a monthly/termly basis.  The charged morning provision will be £3,808 per term, £67.20 per session. The afternoon session will be funded by the Government’s Early Years 15 hours funding.  

No. Children will not be required to attend five days each week and families will be able to select the days and sessions which their child attends, subject to availability.  

• The morning sessions will run from 8.00am until 12.30pm, including lunchtime 

• The afternoon sessions will run from 12.30pm until 3.30pm 

However, we strongly recommend regular attendance across the week and suggest this includes at least three full days to prepare children for the transition to full-time school when they start in Reception.  Consistency is particularly valuable at this age, helping children to develop secure relationships, routines, confidence and a strong sense of belonging within the Pre-school community. 

The fees will be billed termly with payment by Direct Debit on a monthly/termly basis.   

There is a sibling discount for children already attending Surbiton High School or if multiple children are joining at the same time.  

The Pre School is available for children who have turned 3 before the September of the year prior to starting in Reception.  

Application is through the online form which can be found under the admissions section of the website. Enquiries are dealt with on a first-come, first-served basis, in line with our admissions policy and subject to the requested sessions being available. 

The notice period is the school’s standard notice period of one term. 

A register of interest is held for children from birth. Spaces will then be offered to parents in the year prior to joining in the order of enquiry. 

 A deposit of £500 is required. 

Yes, we are delighted to be able to offer natural transition from the Pre School to the relevant Reception class. to enable them to benefit from the continuity of relationships, learning and pastoral care established during their pre-school year. As with all children who enter Reception, a standard school deposit will payable. This is detailed in the Admissions Policy which can be found on the website.