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Nurseries in Ilkeston

There are 15 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Ilkeston, and 11 other childcare settings such as out-of-school clubs.

Inspection grades in Ilkeston

  • Ofsted report cards: 3 settings (2 Strong standard, 16 Expected standard)
  • Ofsted grades before November 2025: 10 settings (1 Outstanding, 9 Good)

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

Nurseries and pre-schools

  • Butterfly Castle Day Nursery - Day nursery, Ilkeston DE7 4FJ, ages 0 to 11, 86 places
    Ofsted, 25 July 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Cantelupe Pre-School Playgroup - Day nursery, Ilkeston DE7 5HY, ages 2 to 4, 30 places
    Ofsted, 6 July 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Cherubs Ilkeston - Day nursery, Ilkeston DE7 8DH, ages 0 to 4, 78 places
    Ofsted, 20 June 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Ilkeston Tuition Centre - Day nursery, Ilkeston DE7 5QT
  • Little Explorers Nursery - Day nursery, Ilkeston DE7 6DN, ages 0 to 4, 54 places
    Ofsted, 18 November 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Little Plums Nursery Ilkeston - Day nursery, Ilkeston DE7 9HE, ages 1 to 4, 47 places
    Ofsted report card, 14 May 2026: Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Magic Roundabout Nurseries Ltd - Day nursery, Ilkeston DE7 4LT, ages 1 to 4, 94 places
    Ofsted report card, 24 June 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Pines Private Day Nursery (The) - Day nursery, Ilkeston DE7 5FY, ages 0 to 4, 83 places
    Ofsted, 26 March 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Smalley Pre-School Playgroup - Pre-school, Ilkeston DE7 6EF, ages 2 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted, 29 February 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • The Community Pre-School - Pre-school, Ilkeston DE7 6GX, ages 2 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted, 11 July 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • The Lanes Day Nursery - Day nursery, Ilkeston DE7 6HU, ages 0 to 4, 42 places
    Ofsted, 9 February 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • The Rocking Horse Nursery - Day nursery, Ilkeston DE7 8DY, 36 places
  • Toddlers University - Day nursery, Ilkeston DE7 5DR, ages 0 to 4, 66 places
    Ofsted, 2 July 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Twinkle Stars Daycare Ltd - Day nursery, Ilkeston DE7 5JA, ages 1 to 3, 22 places
    Ofsted report card, 24 June 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • West Hallam Village Pre-School - Pre-school, Ilkeston DE7 6GU, ages 2 to 4, 30 places
    Ofsted, 17 June 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective

Out-of-school clubs and other childcare

  • Ilkeston Kids Club - Out-of-school club, Ilkeston DE7 5HY, 70 places
  • JPAC Ltd at Charlotte Nursery and Infant School - Out-of-school club, Ilkeston DE7 8LQ, 22 places
  • Jpac Ltd At Larklands Infant & Nursery School - Out-of-school club, Ilkeston DE7 5DR, 20 places
  • JPAC LTD @ Cotmanhay Junior School - Out-of-school club, Ilkeston DE7 8RR, 40 places
  • Junior Adventures Group @ Scargill DE7 - Out-of-school club, Ilkeston DE7 6GU, 22 places
  • Penguin Play - Out-of-school club, Ilkeston DE7 6DF, 20 places
  • Play and Learn Before & After School Club - Out-of-school club, Ilkeston DE7 6DF, 30 places
  • Premier Holiday Camp @ Kirk Hallam - Out-of-school club, Ilkeston DE7 4HH
  • Smalley Childcare - Out-of-school club, Ilkeston DE7 6EF, 30 places
  • Soccerstars Holiday Camp @ Kirk Hallam Community Academy - Out-of-school club, Ilkeston DE7 4HH
  • Whitworth Kids Club - Out-of-school club, Ilkeston DE7 4LT, 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 Ilkeston

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