Sign up free
Skip to main content

Nurseries in Carlisle

There are 35 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Carlisle, and 2 other childcare settings such as out-of-school clubs.

Inspection grades in Carlisle

  • Ofsted report cards: 5 settings (4 Strong standard, 19 Expected standard, 7 Needs attention)
  • Ofsted grades before November 2025: 25 settings (7 Outstanding, 18 Good)

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

Nurseries and pre-schools

  • Abacus Children's Day Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA5 7NY, ages 0 to 3, 60 places
    Ofsted report card, 21 September 2026: Strong standard in 1 area, Expected standard in 5 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Ballyhoo Boutique Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA2 5TU, ages 1 to 4, 38 places
    Ofsted report card, 3 July 2026: Strong standard in 3 areas, Expected standard in 3 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Cherry Tree Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA1 2SQ, ages 0 to 3, 60 places
    Ofsted report card, 16 January 2026: Expected standard in 4 areas, Needs attention in 2 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Craigdene - Pre-school, Carlisle CA5 7ND
  • Crosby Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA6 4QP, ages 0 to 11, 57 places
    Ofsted, 15 December 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Discovery Childcare - Day nursery, Carlisle CA6 4SJ, ages 0 to 4, 33 places
    Ofsted, 24 June 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • First Friends Nursery and Pre-School - Day nursery, Carlisle CA2 7PT, ages 2 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted, 26 April 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Greystone Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA1 2HA, ages 2 to 4, 35 places
    Ofsted, 31 January 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Home from Home Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA2 5NB, ages 0 to 4, 47 places
    Ofsted, 18 October 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • It Takes A Village Nursery And Pre-School - Day nursery, Carlisle CA2 5XW, 77 places
  • Ivegill Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA4 0PA, ages 2 to 4, 14 places
    Ofsted, 11 March 2024: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Jack and Jill Nursery Limited - Day nursery, Carlisle CA3 9NH, ages 0 to 14, 28 places
    Ofsted, 16 December 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Kinder Park Nursery Services Limited - Day nursery, Carlisle CA1 1LJ, ages 0 to 4, 50 places
    Ofsted, 13 July 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Kip McGrath Education Centre Carlisle - Pre-school, Carlisle CA3 8RN
  • Little Jems Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA1 2EH, ages 0 to 11, 49 places
    Ofsted, 8 February 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Little Owls Nursery (Carlisle) Limited - Day nursery, Carlisle CA1 1PE, ages 0 to 4, 52 places
    Ofsted, 14 October 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Messyhands Childcare - Day nursery, Carlisle CA5 6NA, ages 0 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted, 18 September 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Mother Goose Day Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA2 7AY, ages 0 to 4, 45 places
    Ofsted, 15 September 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Munchkins Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA2 7AN, ages 0 to 4, 75 places
    Ofsted report card, 24 March 2026: Expected standard in 5 areas, Needs attention in 1 area; safeguarding standards met
  • Newtown Community Learning Center t/a First Steps Day Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA2 7LW, ages 0 to 4, 68 places
    Ofsted, 24 June 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Newtown Road Day Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA2 7JH, ages 0 to 4, 49 places
    Ofsted, 13 June 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Parkfield Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA2 5PG, ages 0 to 4, 42 places
    Ofsted, 8 November 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Pear Tree Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA6 5UG, ages 0 to 4, 41 places
    Ofsted, 19 September 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Rockcliffe - Pre-school, Carlisle CA6 4BH
  • Rosehill Day Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA1 2UT, ages 0 to 4
    Ofsted, 25 July 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Scotby Pre-School - Pre-school, Carlisle CA4 8BW, ages 2 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted, 12 October 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • St. Aidan's Day Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA1 3SL, ages 0 to 7, 60 places
    Ofsted, 18 January 2024: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Stanwix Community Pre-School - Day nursery, Carlisle CA3 9DJ, ages 2 to 4, 20 places
    Ofsted, 16 November 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • St Michael's Pre-School Nursery - Pre-school, Carlisle CA5 7QB, ages 2 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted, 21 February 2024: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Stone Eden Nursery School Limited - Day nursery, Carlisle CA4 8AD, ages 0 to 4, 75 places
    Ofsted, 21 November 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • The Manor Preschool Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA2 6JP, ages 2 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted, 29 April 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Watchtree Education Services - Pre-school, Carlisle CA5 6NL
  • Wendy House Nursery (Carlisle) Limited - Day nursery, Carlisle CA2 4AB, ages 1 to 4, 111 places
    Ofsted report card, 25 June 2026: Expected standard in 2 areas, Needs attention in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Willow Tree Nursery - Day nursery, Carlisle CA2 4BA, ages 0 to 4, 60 places
    Ofsted, 18 September 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Yewkids Nursery at Yewdale Community Centre - Day nursery, Carlisle CA2 7TH, ages 2 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted, 13 May 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective

Out-of-school clubs and other childcare

  • Inglewood Wraparound Care - Out-of-school club, Carlisle CA1 3LX, 30 places
  • Stagecoach Carlisle - Out-of-school club, Carlisle CA2 6LB

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 Carlisle

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