Childcare in Thornton Heath
Thornton Heath has 17 day nurseries, 3 pre-schools, 9 school nursery classes, 10 childminders and 5 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 19 of them, and rated every one Good or better, 1 of them Outstanding. 25 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Across Croydon there are 33 places per 100 children under five, about the same as England as a whole at 32.
Places per 100 under-fives is registered capacity at nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across Croydon, 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 61 school nursery classes across Croydon, because nobody publishes how many children they take.
5 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 Winterbourne School Extended Club Premier F4F Group Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened Thorntonheath After School Club Full day care
- Jun 2026Closed CHI COMBAT HOLISTIC ACADEMY Sessional day care
- Dec 2025Closed The Ark Montessori Nursery Full day care
- Dec 2025Closed Blu-Butterflies Pre-school & Daycare Full day care
- Dec 2025Closed Thornton Heath Pond Kumon Centre Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2025Opened J&S Playhouse Full day care
- Jun 2025Opened Lolly Tots Day Nursery Full day care
- Jun 2025Closed J&S Playhouse Full day care
What people ask about childcare in Thornton Heath
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
Which nurseries in Thornton Heath take funded hours?
17 of the 44 settings in Thornton Heath 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 Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.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 Thornton Heath rated Outstanding?
Yes. 1 of the 19 settings Ofsted has inspected in Thornton Heath hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Thornton Heath take babies?
30 settings in Thornton Heath 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 Thornton Heath?
Croydon has 33 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 Thornton Heath
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.