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Nurseries in Lowestoft

There are 16 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Lowestoft, and 1 other childcare setting such as out-of-school clubs.

Inspection grades in Lowestoft

  • Ofsted report cards: 1 setting (6 Expected standard)
  • Ofsted grades before November 2025: 14 settings (1 Outstanding, 13 Good)

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

Nurseries and pre-schools

  • Blundeston Pre-School - Day nursery, Lowestoft NR32 5BE, ages 2 to 4, 40 places
    Ofsted, 31 January 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Carlton Colville Preschool - Pre-school, Lowestoft NR33 8BT, ages 2 to 4, 21 places
    Ofsted, 19 January 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • EA Gymnastics - Lowestoft - Day nursery, Lowestoft NR32 2EP
  • Elm Tree Nursery - Day nursery, Lowestoft NR33 9HN, ages 2 to 4, 30 places
    Ofsted, 22 June 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Kids Zone Childcare Limited - Day nursery, Lowestoft NR32 3LQ, ages 1 to 11, 42 places
    Ofsted, 31 August 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Kirkley Nursery - Day nursery, Lowestoft NR33 0LU, ages 0 to 4, 52 places
    Ofsted, 24 January 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Little Buddies Pre-School - Pre-school, Lowestoft NR33 9BU, ages 0 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted report card, 25 November 2025: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Rainbow Day Nursery - Day nursery, Lowestoft NR32 2NY, ages 1 to 4, 48 places
    Ofsted, 30 April 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Scribbles Day Nursery (Seashore) - Day nursery, Lowestoft NR32 1JH, ages 0 to 4, 90 places
    Ofsted, 2 April 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • St Benedict's Pre-School - Pre-school, Lowestoft NR32 4AX, ages 2 to 5, 30 places
    Ofsted, 23 May 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • St Peter's Penguins Pre School - Pre-school, Lowestoft NR33 0NE, ages 2 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted, 17 November 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Trinity Nursery - Pre-school, Lowestoft NR32 4HU, ages 2 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted, 18 May 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Uplands Pre-School - Pre-school, Lowestoft NR33 8LJ, ages 2 to 4, 35 places
    Ofsted, 10 July 2025: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Victoria Pre-School - Pre-school, Lowestoft NR33 8LJ, ages 2 to 3, 50 places
    Ofsted, 9 September 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • YMCA Childcare - St Margaret's Road - Day nursery, Lowestoft NR32 4HW, ages 2 to 12, 51 places
    Ofsted, 17 August 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • YMCA Childcare Water Lane - Pre-school, Lowestoft NR32 2NH, ages 1 to 3, 51 places
    Ofsted, 19 September 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective

Out-of-school clubs and other childcare

  • Premier Carlton Colville Wrap Around Care - Out-of-school club, Lowestoft NR33 8DG, 18 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 Lowestoft

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