Childcare in Lancaster
Lancaster has 17 day nurseries, 5 pre-schools, 11 school nursery classes, 6 childminders and 6 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 25 of them and rated 24 Good or better, 5 of them Outstanding. 20 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Of those that publish a price, a full day runs from £40 to £72, typically £50. Across Lancashire 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 Lancashire, 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 227 school nursery classes across Lancashire, because nobody publishes how many children they take.
22 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 Infinity Pre-School Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Closed Moorside Pre-School Full day care
What people ask about childcare in Lancaster
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
How much does nursery cost in Lancaster?
Of the 5 full-day rates published by settings in Lancaster, the typical price is £50 a day, ranging from £40 to £72. These are prices the settings publish themselves, not an average of quotes.
Which nurseries in Lancaster take funded hours?
21 of the 45 settings in Lancaster 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 Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.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 Lancaster rated Outstanding?
Yes. 5 of the 25 settings Ofsted has inspected in Lancaster hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Lancaster take babies?
33 settings in Lancaster 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 Lancaster?
Lancashire 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 Lancaster
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.