NurseryWise Childcare in England
Day nursery in Carlisle

Little Owls Nursery (Carlisle) Limited

GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades

A day nursery in Carlisle for children from birth to 8+, open 07:45 to 17:45, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2022. Open since 2006, with 52 places.

Call 01228 550503Their website

Cost

What it costs

Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.

Funded hours

Nursery Education Grant for 2 and 3 years olds. The current entitlement for 2yrs old is 15 hours per week if you qualify. The current entitlement for 3yrs old is 15 hours per week, however, this may be increase to 30 hours per week if you qualify.

Worth knowing. Funding starts the after the term after your child’s birthday.

What childcare usually costs in Cumberland

£6.00an hour, typical for a 2 years old
£5.50an hour, typical for a 3 and 4 years old

This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Cumberland from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.

The basics

Places, hours and the day

Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.

Who they can take
Birth to 8+Registered from birth. Whether there is a baby room is a question for the call.
When it's open
07:45 to 17:45, 5 days a weekFrom their Google listing
Funded hours
Takes them
Outdoor space
Yes
How many children
52 placesLarge for England
How long open
21 yearsOpen for decades
Address
28 Portland Square, Carlisle, CA1 1PE

Where it is

CA1 1PE
Ofsted URN EY319329On the register since 23 February 2006
Ofsted

What the inspector found

One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.

Ofsted inspector, 14 October 2022 · read the full report

What it is like to attend

Children are very happy and settled at this warm and welcoming nursery. Parents and carers praise the nurturing relationships the well-established staff team provide. Children feel safe and secure. Staff are excellent role models. They patiently and respectfully support children's emotional well-being. Babies gently help rock other babies to sleep. Older children show awareness of rules and boundaries and are kind to each other. They learn how to share and take turns.

Toddlers are captivated by their favourite stories. They listen intently and join in enthusiastically with the parts that they remember. Children's behaviour is good.

Children make good progress and are confident, curious and excited explorers.

What Ofsted told them to improve

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:

- strengthen supervisions further to focus on curriculum implementation, ensuring staff know how to support children's learning to the highest level n ensure there are opportunities for all children to engage and celebrate their heritage, home language and culture through everyday events that reflect their home life.

  • 14 October 2022Good
  • 13 January 2017Good
  • 8 August 2013Good

Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.

Still missing for Little Owls Nursery (Carlisle) Limited

  • What it costs
  • Youngest age taken
  • Meals
  • Nappies
  • Waiting list

No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.

Before you ring

What to ask them

Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.

  • What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
  • How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
  • Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
  • Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
  • Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Compare

Day nurseries within a couple of miles

This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.

Greystone Nursery

Day nursery · Greystone Community Centre, Close Street, Carlisle, CA1 2HA

GoodBirth to 5Open all day, usually 8am to 6pm35 placesLong established
0.3 mi
5 min walk
01228558602

Willow Tree Nursery

Day nursery · Unit 1-4, St Nicholas Business Park, Carlisle, CA2 4BA

GoodBirth to 8+07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 1260 placesLong established

Home from Home Nursery

Day nursery · Atlas Works, Nelson Street, Carlisle, CA2 5NB

GoodBirth to 8+Open all day, usually 8am to 6pm47 placesLong established
0.6 mi
12 min walk
01228 318 265

Pick two or three to compare.

Everything here comes from Ofsted's published childcare register, under the Open Government Licence. Ratings are quoted exactly as Ofsted gave them, with their dates. Read the full Ofsted reports · How we put this together.

All childcare in Carlisle