Pennington Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Ulverston for babies from 3 months up to school age, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. £5.80 an hour for under 2. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2023. Open since 2001, with 111 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Session | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 2birth to 2y | – | £5.80Baby Gems | |
| Under 3birth to 3y | – | £5.80minimum 9am-3pm | |
| 2-3 years2y to 3y | – | £5.80Little Gems | |
| 3-4 years3y to 4y | – | £5.40Big Gems | |
| Over 33y to 5y | – | £5.40minimum 9am-3pm | |
| All ages | £6.00Breakfast Club £8.00Friday £12.00After School Club, 3 hrs | – |
What childcare usually costs in Westmorland and Furness
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Westmorland and Furness from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
LA12 0RTWhat 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, 19 June 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The nursery prioritises building positive relationships. The babies cuddle with the adults and watch wide-eyed as the adults talk to them. The older children chat to the staff about their experiences, share snacks and play cooperatively. Children at this nursery are happy and settled. They enjoy playing with their friends. Children take their lead from the staff and demonstrate good manners, high levels of concentration and positive attitudes to learning.
Leaders have thoughtfully planned and arranged the new building to ensure that children have a clean, safe and stimulating environment in which they can thrive.
Staff consider the children's interests and abilities when providing activities so that children are always engaged. Children move freely between the indoor and outdoor areas, accessing meaningful learning through play. Throughout the nursery, children are accessing a broad range of opportunities to develop their skills, confidence and independence ready to move on to school.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to strengthen the planning and implementation of adult-led activities, so they are more precisely linked to what children need to learn next.
- 19 June 2023Good
- 3 November 2017Good
- 23 November 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Pennington Nursery
- Funded hours
- 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.
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.
- Is £5.80 an hour still the rate? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.