St. Aidan's Day Nursery
OutstandingBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Carlisle for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in January 2024. Open since 2016, with 60 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 Cumberland
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.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
CA1 3SLWhat 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, 18 January 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The care and attention given to every child at this calm and inclusive nursery is exemplary. The highly personalised approach to transition helps children to quickly build loving bonds with the staff, who know them exceptionally well. Staff prioritise children's emotional well-being. They frequently ask children how they are feeling and teach them to understand the feelings of others. Children replicate this in their play as they ask the toy animals if they are scared and offer reassurance that they will be cared for. All children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure.
Leaders and staff have designed a bespoke curriculum based on their in-depth knowledge of each child's individual next steps. Leaders work closely with parents to create a shared vision of what they intend each child to be able to know and do.
Staff consistently make use of their interactions with children to extend their learning. For instance, staff encourage children to consider how tall the bridge they are making will need to be in relation to the size of the vehicles travelling under it.
- 18 January 2024Outstanding
- 29 January 2018Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for St. Aidan's Day Nursery
- 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.