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Nurseries in Barnstaple

There are 18 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Barnstaple, and 6 other childcare settings such as out-of-school clubs.

Inspection grades in Barnstaple

  • Ofsted report cards: 3 settings (2 Strong standard, 16 Expected standard)
  • Ofsted grades before November 2025: 15 settings (15 Good)

Grades are shown only where the inspectorate has published the report.

Nurseries and pre-schools

  • Banana Moon Day Nursery Barnstaple - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX32 9BD, ages 0 to 4, 78 places
    Ofsted report card, 20 August 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Bratton Fleming Pre-School CIC - Pre-school, Barnstaple EX31 4SB, ages 0 to 5, 26 places
    Ofsted, 20 May 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Bright Start Early Years - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX31 4AZ, ages 0 to 4, 35 places
    Ofsted, 9 March 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Bright Start Early Years Ltd - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX31 4BA, ages 1 to 4, 35 places
    Ofsted report card, 20 July 2026: Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Duckies Pre School - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX31 1LG, ages 0 to 4, 60 places
    Ofsted, 1 February 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • EarlyBirds Day Nursery - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX31 3BL, ages 0 to 9, 28 places
    Ofsted, 7 December 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • EarlyBirds Day Nursery Woodville - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX31 2HJ, ages 9 to 10, 38 places
    Ofsted, 6 November 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Felicity's Fledglings - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX32 8HX, ages 0 to 8, 60 places
    Ofsted, 7 July 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Happy Hares (Nursery And Pre-School) - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX31 1RW, ages 0 to 5, 55 places
    Ofsted, 30 June 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Kiddywinks Neighbourhood Nursery and Preschool - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX32 8NT, ages 0 to 8, 43 places
    Ofsted, 18 November 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Ladybirds Early Years Care & Education - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX32 7AA, ages 0 to 6, 100 places
    Ofsted report card, 26 August 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Little Berries - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX31 4NG, ages 1 to 4, 20 places
    Ofsted, 28 March 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Little Butterflies Day Nursery Ltd - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX31 3DD, ages 0 to 11, 37 places
    Ofsted, 22 March 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Orchard Vale Nursery School - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX32 8QY, ages 0 to 2, 7 places
    Ofsted, 20 September 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Springfield Nursery Ltd - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX31 4DU, ages 0 to 11, 120 places
    Ofsted, 11 February 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • St. Michael's Nursery - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX31 2DB, ages 0 to 4, 77 places
    Ofsted, 26 October 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Swallows Day Nursery - Day nursery, Barnstaple EX32 0QT, ages 0 to 5, 30 places
    Ofsted, 11 June 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Swimbridge Pre School - Pre-school, Barnstaple EX32 0PR, ages 2 to 3, 14 places
    Ofsted, 24 April 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective

Out-of-school clubs and other childcare

  • Little Butterflies Ashleigh ASC - Out-of-school club, Barnstaple EX32 8LJ, 32 places
  • Little Butterflies Roundswell ASC - Out-of-school club, Barnstaple EX31 3WJ, 32 places
  • Pathfield Activities Club - Out-of-school club, Barnstaple EX31 1JU
  • Primary Sports and Education Breakfast and After School Club - Out-of-school club, Barnstaple EX31 1JU, 30 places
  • Primary Sports and Education ( North Devon) Ltd Activity Days - Out-of-school club, Barnstaple EX32 8EF
  • Primary Sports and Education ( North Devon) Ltd Activity Days - Out-of-school club, Barnstaple EX31 2HH

Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)

Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.

The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.

Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.

Source: Ofsted reports

Ofsted grades before November 2025 (England)

Inspections before November 2025 gave one overall grade on a four-point scale: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement, Inadequate. Ofsted also graded the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, and said whether safeguarding was effective.

Settings keep their last grade until Ofsted visits again, so many nurseries still show a grade from this older scale.

Source: Ofsted reports

Funded childcare hours in England

All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.

Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.

Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.

The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.

Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)

Council area

Schools in Barnstaple

Sources: Ofsted, registers as at 30 June 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.