Childcare in Pontefract (Wakefield)
Pontefract (Wakefield) has 19 day nurseries, 5 pre-schools, 28 school nursery classes, 17 childminders and 2 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 30 of them, and rated every one Good or better, 6 of them Outstanding. 41 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Across Wakefield 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 Wakefield, 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 100 school nursery classes across Wakefield, because nobody publishes how many children they take.
28 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 2026Opened Super Star Sport North Featherstone Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened Super Star Sport St Helen's Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Opened Young Minds Matter Full day care
- Jun 2026Opened Holly Tree Nursery Full day care
- Jun 2026Closed Keats Site Services Limited Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Closed Young Minds Matter Full day care
- Dec 2025Closed Kip McGrath Pontefract Out-of-school day care
- Dec 2025Opened Kip McGrath Pontefract Out-of-school day care
- Dec 2025Opened Action2Change Sessional day care
What people ask about childcare in Pontefract (Wakefield)
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
Which nurseries in Pontefract (Wakefield) take funded hours?
31 of the 71 settings in Pontefract (Wakefield) 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 Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.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 Pontefract (Wakefield) rated Outstanding?
Yes. 6 of the 30 settings Ofsted has inspected in Pontefract (Wakefield) hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Pontefract (Wakefield) take babies?
36 settings in Pontefract (Wakefield) 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 Pontefract (Wakefield)?
Wakefield 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 Pontefract (Wakefield)
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.