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Nurseries in Lewes

There are 15 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Lewes, and 6 other childcare settings such as out-of-school clubs.

Inspection grades in Lewes

  • Ofsted report cards: 5 settings (20 Strong standard, 10 Expected standard)
  • Ofsted grades before November 2025: 9 settings (3 Outstanding, 6 Good)

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

Nurseries and pre-schools

  • Barcombe Playgroup - Pre-school, Lewes BN8 5BH, ages 2 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted, 11 January 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Busy Bees Day Nursery at Lewes - Day nursery, Lewes BN7 1HR, ages 1 to 4, 51 places
    Ofsted report card, 12 December 2025: Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Cottage Pre-School - Pre-school, Lewes BN7 1PL, ages 2 to 5, 24 places
    Ofsted, 28 January 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Honeybees Pre-School - Pre-school, Lewes BN7 3DP, ages 2 to 4, 40 places
    Ofsted, 20 January 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Kiddie Capers Childcare Ltd - Day nursery, Lewes BN7 2XX, ages 1 to 4, 90 places
    Ofsted report card, 25 August 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Mohair Centre Childcare - Day nursery, Lewes BN8 6JG, ages 1 to 11, 71 places
    Ofsted report card, 10 June 2026: Strong standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • NatureKids - Quaker Meeting House Lewes - Pre-school, Lewes BN7 2LE
  • Newick Pre-school - Pre-school, Lewes BN8 4JX, ages 2 to 4, 23 places
    Ofsted, 27 June 2025: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Pippa's Group - Day nursery, Lewes BN7 2SU, ages 2 to 4, 30 places
    Ofsted, 6 February 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Ripe Nursery School - Pre-school, Lewes BN8 6AP, ages 2 to 3, 37 places
    Ofsted report card, 16 April 2026: Strong standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Southover Nursery School - Pre-school, Lewes BN7 1HR, ages 2 to 5, 30 places
    Ofsted, 17 June 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Stepping Stones, Lewes Community Nursery Ltd - Day nursery, Lewes BN7 2AT, ages 0 to 4, 38 places
    Ofsted, 29 February 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • The Nest in Laughton, part of Ripe Nursery School - Pre-school, Lewes BN8 6AH, ages 1 to 2, 12 places
    Ofsted report card, 30 April 2026: Strong standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • The Old School House Montessori Nursery - Day nursery, Lewes BN7 1SP, ages 1 to 4, 48 places
    Ofsted, 7 September 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Toddlers Inn Nursery - Day nursery, Lewes BN8 4DB, ages 0 to 4, 55 places
    Ofsted, 7 April 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective

Out-of-school clubs and other childcare

  • Junior Adventures Group @ Newick - Out-of-school club, Lewes BN8 4NB, 20 places
  • Junior Adventures Group @ Southover - Out-of-school club, Lewes BN7 1JP, 40 places
  • SportsCool Brighton WCPS - Out-of-school club, Lewes BN7 1PU
  • The Outdoors Project at The Paddock - Out-of-school club, Lewes BN7 1YY
  • The Outdoors Project at Western Road Community Primary School - Out-of-school club, Lewes BN7 1JB
  • V.I.M Camps - Out-of-school club, Lewes BN8 6HN, 25 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 Lewes

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