Childcare in Derby
Derby has 53 day nurseries, 19 pre-schools, 57 school nursery classes, 28 childminders and 41 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 75 of them and rated 67 Good or better, 5 of them Outstanding. 123 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Of those that publish a price, a full day runs from £28 to £73, typically £60. Across Derby there are 28 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 Derby, 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 58 school nursery classes across Derby, 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.
- Jun 2026Opened Premier After School Club @ Allenton Primary Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Opened Willow Park Day Nursery Full day care
- Jun 2026Opened Little Owls Nursery Sinfin Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Closed Bizzy Kidz Full day care
- Jun 2026Closed Kipmcgrath Education Centre Derby South Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Closed Premier WAC @ Carlyle Infs Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Closed Shelton-Lock Pre-School Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Closed Genius Tuition Holiday Club Derby Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Closed Schools Out Holiday Club Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Opened Aspire HAF Club Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Opened J&J Sports Gayton Junior Holiday Camp Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Opened Dar Ul Madinah Derby Full day care
What people ask about childcare in Derby
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
How much does nursery cost in Derby?
Of the 8 full-day rates published by settings in Derby, the typical price is £60 a day, ranging from £28 to £73. These are prices the settings publish themselves, not an average of quotes.
Which nurseries in Derby take funded hours?
72 of the 198 settings in Derby 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 Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.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 Derby rated Outstanding?
Yes. 5 of the 75 settings Ofsted has inspected in Derby hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Derby take babies?
109 settings in Derby 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 Derby?
Derby has 28 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 Derby
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.