Childcare in Washington
Washington has 6 day nurseries, 16 school nursery classes, 7 childminders and 1 after-school club. Ofsted has inspected 13 of them and rated 11 Good or better, 2 of them Outstanding. 17 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Across Sunderland there are 19 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 Sunderland, 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 73 school nursery classes across Sunderland, 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.
- Dec 2025Closed Playtime Paradise Wraparound @ St Bedes Out-of-school day care
- Dec 2025Closed Stagecoach Performing Arts Washington Sessional day care
What people ask about childcare in Washington
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
Which nurseries in Washington take funded hours?
20 of the 30 settings in Washington 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 Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.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 Washington rated Outstanding?
Yes. 2 of the 13 settings Ofsted has inspected in Washington hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Washington take babies?
14 settings in Washington 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 Washington?
Sunderland has 19 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 Washington
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.