The Carlton Day Nursery
Good★ 4.2 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Lincoln for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2023. Open since 2003, with 63 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 Lincolnshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Lincolnshire 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
LN2 4WAWhat 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 April 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy to arrive at the nursery. They confidently access and explore different activities and resources offered. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported by staff to develop an understanding of the daily routines. For example, staff use gestures and show them photographs to help them during snack time and with toileting. This helps children to feel secure. Children understand the rules in the nursery. For example, they know to ask an adult to watch them before they climb on large climbing apparatus in the garden. Children wear helmets when they ride on balance bicycles, explaining that this helps to keep their heads safe.
Children show an interest and enjoyment in looking at books. In the baby room, staff show children images of animals on the pages and ask them to make the sounds that different animals make, supporting their early speaking skills. After staff read a book to children in the toddler room, they ask them to remember what happened in the story, encouraging them to recall from memory. Children in the pre-school room use books to find out information. For example, when they look at images of different insects, staff help them to identify what they are called, such as an ant.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- help staff to enhance the use of outdoor areas to offer children in the baby room further play and learning opportunities n support staff to offer parents ideas and suggestions about how they can continue to encourage their children's learning at home.
- 19 April 2023Good
- 2 August 2017Good
- 30 May 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Carlton 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.