Queen Street Nursery and Pre-school
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Penrith 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 October 2022. Open since 1996, with 20 places.
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 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
CA11 7XFWhat 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, 5 October 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and confident, saying goodbye to their parents at the door.
Practitioners say how well this new system is working, as it gives children more independence on arrival. Children take their own coats off and identify their written name on the way into the small, homely environment. Older children are invited to have a go at writing their name, using the name card they collected on their way in.
Children show genuine kindness towards each other. They roll each other's sleeves up when washing their hands and ask questions such as, 'are you ok?'. Children establish strong bonds and feel safe with all practitioners, as well as their key person. This enables children to become confident learners who thrive in each stage of their learning.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- implement the outdoor curriculum more consistently throughout the year to further support children who prefer to learn outdoors n provide staff with accurate performance feedback to raise the quality of education to a higher level.
- 5 October 2022Good
- 11 October 2016Good
- 20 August 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Queen Street Nursery and Pre-school
- 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.
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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.