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Nurseries in Canterbury

There are 40 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Canterbury, and 11 other childcare settings such as out-of-school clubs.

Inspection grades in Canterbury

  • Ofsted report cards: 6 settings (3 Strong standard, 24 Expected standard, 9 Needs attention)
  • Ofsted grades before November 2025: 24 settings (4 Outstanding, 20 Good)

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

Nurseries and pre-schools

  • Baby Kaleidascope - Day nursery, Canterbury CT3 3BE, ages 1 to 3, 75 places
    Ofsted report card, 25 August 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Badgers Bridge On The Minnis - Pre-school, Canterbury CT4 6DU, 30 places
  • Blean Pre-School - Pre-school, Canterbury CT2 9JA, ages 2 to 4, 30 places
    Ofsted, 25 June 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Bluebells Kindergarten Canterbury - Day nursery, Canterbury CT2 7PH, 18 places
  • Bovan Creek - Day nursery, Canterbury CT1 1NG, ages 1 to 4, 40 places
    Ofsted report card, 29 July 2026: Needs attention in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Bridge Village Playgroup - Pre-school, Canterbury CT4 5JY, ages 2 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted, 15 March 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Bright Horizons Canterbury Day Nursery and Preschool - Day nursery, Canterbury CT1 1SW, ages 0 to 5, 148 places
    Ofsted, 27 October 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Busy Bees Day Nursery at Canterbury - Day nursery, Canterbury CT2 7PH, ages 0 to 4, 80 places
    Ofsted, 10 October 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Canterbury Day Nursery, Holiday Playscheme and ASC - Day nursery, Canterbury CT1 1NP, ages 0 to 10, 68 places
    Ofsted, 4 June 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Chislet & District Playgroup - Pre-school, Canterbury CT3 4LA, ages 0 to 4, 33 places
    Ofsted, 8 March 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • City View Pre-School and Nursery - Day nursery, Canterbury CT2 8PT, ages 0 to 4, 62 places
    Ofsted, 28 September 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Code Kids Canterbury - Pre-school, Canterbury CT2 7JA
  • Elham Pre School - Day nursery, Canterbury CT4 6SX, ages 2 to 4, 12 places
    Ofsted report card, 27 February 2026: Expected standard in 3 areas, Needs attention in 3 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Garden Cottage Nursery At Kent College - Day nursery, Canterbury CT2 9AQ, ages 0 to 3, 32 places
    Ofsted, 18 February 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Hersden Under 5's - Pre-school, Canterbury CT3 4HS, 30 places
  • Jo Jo's Day Care Nursery - Canterbury Ltd - Day nursery, Canterbury CT1 3JT, ages 0 to 4, 80 places
    Ofsted report card, 7 May 2026: Strong standard in 1 area, Expected standard in 5 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Kaleidascope Childcare - Day nursery, Canterbury CT3 3AS, ages 2 to 4, 28 places
    Ofsted, 21 September 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Lilliput Pre-school - Pre-school, Canterbury CT1 1PA, ages 3 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted, 20 May 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Littlebourne Ladybirds Pre-School - Day nursery, Canterbury CT3 1XS, ages 2 to 4, 30 places
    Ofsted, 30 April 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Little Oaks Day Nursery - Day nursery, Canterbury CT1 3NG, ages 0 to 4, 57 places
    Ofsted, 18 January 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • New House Nursery School - Day nursery, Canterbury CT4 7BG, ages 1 to 4, 55 places
    Ofsted, 13 November 2024: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Primary Sports Giants - Pre-school, Canterbury CT1 3EN
  • Rough Common Pre-School - Day nursery, Canterbury CT2 9BS, ages 1 to 4, 46 places
    Ofsted, 18 March 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Squirrels Pre-School CIO - Day nursery, Canterbury CT2 7AB, ages 2 to 4, 20 places
    Ofsted, 8 December 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Stagecoach Canterbury - Pre-school, Canterbury CT4 7AS
  • Stagecoach Canterbury- St Anselm's - Pre-school, Canterbury CT1 3EN
  • Stepping Stones Pre-School - Pre-school, Canterbury CT1 3JN, ages 2 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted, 30 June 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Sturry Pre-School - Day nursery, Canterbury CT2 0NR, ages 2 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted, 12 September 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Sunshine Corner Nursery - Day nursery, Canterbury CT3 3BS, ages 0 to 4, 57 places
    Ofsted, 10 January 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Teamtheme Holiday Sports Camp - Pre-school, Canterbury CT2 7AB
  • The Chartham Holistic Kindergarten - Pre-school, Canterbury CT4 5RU, 42 places
  • The Firs Nursery CIO - Pre-school, Canterbury CT4 7QN, 68 places
  • The Nursery At Canterbury College - Day nursery, Canterbury CT1 3AJ, ages 1 to 4, 42 places
    Ofsted, 10 June 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • The Oaks Nursery - Day nursery, Canterbury CT2 7FL, ages 0 to 4, 90 places
    Ofsted, 13 October 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • The Old Station Nursery Canterbury - Day nursery, Canterbury CT2 8NE, ages 0 to 4
    Ofsted report card, 27 July 2026: Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Tiny Stars Canterbury - Day nursery, Canterbury CT1 3RA, ages 2 to 4, 15 places
    Ofsted, 13 March 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Westbere Preschool - Pre-school, Canterbury CT2 0HA, ages 2 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted, 10 May 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Wincheap Pre-School - Day nursery, Canterbury CT1 3SD, ages 3 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted, 22 November 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Wingham Pre-School - Pre-school, Canterbury CT3 1BD, ages 2 to 4, 20 places
    Ofsted report card, 8 July 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Woodpeckers Nursery - Day nursery, Canterbury CT4 5JX, ages 1 to 4, 35 places
    Ofsted, 6 November 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective

Out-of-school clubs and other childcare

  • Barracudas - Canterbury St Ed - Out-of-school club, Canterbury CT2 8HU, 121 places
  • Canterbury Kumon - Out-of-school club, Canterbury CT2 8QA
  • Khickster Entertainment Ltd - Out-of-school club, Canterbury CT1 3EW, 90 places
  • Muserat Awan Tuition Centre Canterbury - Out-of-school club, Canterbury CT2 8BZ
  • New House Breakfast and After School Club - Out-of-school club, Canterbury CT4 6NX, 34 places
  • Premier Education WAC - St John's CofE Primary School - Out-of-school club, Canterbury CT1 1BD, 23 places
  • School Club & AWLC - Out-of-school club, Canterbury CT3 3BE
  • Stay 'n' Play - Out-of-school club, Canterbury CT1 1XU, 30 places
  • Teachsport Canterbury Buzzers - Out-of-school club, Canterbury CT4 5JX
  • Tuition Canterbury - Out-of-school club, Canterbury CT1 3HQ
  • Venture Camps -The Canterbury Holiday Camp - Out-of-school club, Canterbury CT4 7AS, 35 places

Nursery groups with settings here

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 Canterbury

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