Childcare in Carlisle (Cumberland)
Carlisle (Cumberland) has 28 day nurseries, 6 pre-schools, 31 school nursery classes, 4 childminders and 2 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 31 of them and rated 29 Good or better, 7 of them Outstanding. 40 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Across Cumberland there are 25 places per 100 children under five, worse supplied than England as a whole at 32.
Places per 100 under-fives is registered capacity at nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across Cumberland, divided by the children aged 0 to 4 who live there at the 2021 Census. It compares areas; it is not a count of free places today. It also leaves out the 112 school nursery classes across Cumberland, because nobody publishes how many children they take.
1 setting match. Search by postcode to sort them by how far they really are.
What has changed here
Ofsted does not publish closures, so we work them out by comparing releases. Worth knowing if you are working from an old list.
- Dec 2025Opened It Takes A Village Nursery And Pre-School Full day care
- Jun 2025Opened Cherry Tree Nursery Full day care
What people ask about childcare in Carlisle (Cumberland)
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
Which nurseries in Carlisle (Cumberland) take funded hours?
34 of the 71 settings in Carlisle (Cumberland) are recorded as taking the government funded hours. Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.
Are any nurseries in Carlisle (Cumberland) rated Outstanding?
Yes. 7 of the 31 settings Ofsted has inspected in Carlisle (Cumberland) hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Carlisle (Cumberland) take babies?
35 settings in Carlisle (Cumberland) are registered to take children under two. Ofsted's register does not say whether a setting runs a baby room or has space in it, so ring before you plan around it.
Is it hard to get a nursery place in Carlisle (Cumberland)?
Cumberland has 25 registered childcare places for every 100 children under five, against 32 across England. That is registered capacity rather than free places, so it compares areas rather than telling you what is available this week.
Towns close to Carlisle (Cumberland)
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.