Childcare in Durham
Durham has 17 day nurseries, 2 pre-schools, 9 childminders and 2 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 25 of them, and rated every one Good or better, 6 of them Outstanding. 5 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Across Durham there are 23 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 Durham, 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.
9 settings 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.
- Jun 2026Closed First Class Learning Bowburn Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Closed Deerness Valley Nursery Full day care
- Jun 2026Opened Wheatley Hill Community Nursery Full day care
- Jun 2026Opened Little Wings Sessional day care
- Dec 2025Opened St Hild's Bright Beginnings Sessional day care
- Jun 2025Opened First Class Learning Bowburn Out-of-school day care
What people ask about childcare in Durham
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
Which nurseries in Durham take funded hours?
5 of the 30 settings in Durham 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 Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.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 Durham rated Outstanding?
Yes. 6 of the 25 settings Ofsted has inspected in Durham hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Durham take babies?
30 settings in Durham 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 Durham?
Durham has 23 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 Durham
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.