NurseryWise Childcare in England
Day nursery in Lancaster

Pre-School Centre

GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades

A day nursery in Lancaster for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2025. Open since 1992, with 158 places.

Call 01524 594 464Their website

Cost

What you might pay

This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.

What childcare usually costs in Lancashire

£5.80an 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 Lancashire 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
Open all day, usually 8am to 6pm
Funded hours
Not published, so ask them
How many children
158 placesVery large for England
How long open
34 yearsOpen for decades
Address
Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YW

Where it is

LA1 4YW
Ofsted URN 309552On the register since 22 October 1992
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, 23 July 2025 · read the full report

What it is like to attend

Staff are kind and caring. They have secure relationships with children, who they know well. Staff have high expectations of children. Children know the routine and what is expected of them. Staff are good role models and support children's independence well. During lunchtime, even the youngest children clear their spaces once finished and manage their self-care needs independently. For example, when children have finished their snack, they wipe their faces and hands and put their rubbish in the bin. At tidy-up time, they enthusiastically put away toys and equipment. All children show strong attitudes to doing things for themselves. They develop their sense of responsibility and key life skills in preparation for their next stage of learning.

Leaders create an ambitious curriculum and plan a rich programme of experiences that ensure that children understand what makes them unique and to help them to feel involved in their local community. For example, older children enjoy attending events on the university campus, such as the women's football. Staff support children to recall their learning about other countries that take part in international football tournaments. This supports children to develop an understanding of their local community and the world around them.

What Ofsted told them to improve

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

- support staff to implement the precise learning intentions of activities more effectively so that children remain fully engaged in their learning n review the deployment of staff to consistently provide purposeful interactions for children to build on their existing skills and knowledge.

  • 23 July 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
  • 26 July 2019Outstanding
  • 29 July 2013Outstanding

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

Still missing for Pre-School Centre

  • What it costs
  • Funded hours
  • 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

None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.

  • What does it cost, all in? 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.
  • 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.

Leaps & Bounds Ellel

Day nursery · Ellel Village Hall, Main Road, Lancaster, LA2 0LQ

GoodBirth to 508:15 to 15:45, 5 days a week20 placesLong established
1.5 mi
4 min drive
01524752408

Tiny Treasures

Day nursery · 6-8 Winchester Avenue, Lancaster, LA1 4HX

GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week30 placesLong established
1.7 mi
5 min drive
0152461622Their website

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 Lancaster