Childcare in Cowes
Cowes has 3 day nurseries and 1 pre-school. Ofsted has inspected 3 of them, and rated every one Good or better, 1 of them Outstanding. 1 has never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Across Isle of Wight there are 38 places per 100 children under five, better supplied than England as a whole at 32.
Places per 100 under-fives is registered capacity at nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across Isle of Wight, 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 10 school nursery classes across Isle of Wight, because nobody publishes how many children they take.
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 Little Ladybirds Private Pre-School and Nursery Full day care
- Dec 2025Closed Little Ladybirds Private Pre-School And Nursery Full day care
What people ask about childcare in Cowes
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
Which nurseries in Cowes take funded hours?
1 of the 4 settings in Cowes 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 Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.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 Cowes rated Outstanding?
Yes. 1 of the 3 settings Ofsted has inspected in Cowes hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Cowes take babies?
4 settings in Cowes 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 Cowes?
Isle of Wight has 38 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 Cowes
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.