Nurseries in Ripley
There are 5 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Ripley, and 2 other childcare settings such as out-of-school clubs.
Inspection grades in Ripley
- Ofsted grades before November 2025: 4 settings (4 Good)
Grades are shown only where the inspectorate has published the report.
Nurseries and pre-schools
- Clowns Day Nursery LTD - Day nursery, Ripley DE5 3AD, ages 0 to 4, 124 placesOfsted, 16 November 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Clowns Nursery (Cromford Road) - Day nursery, Ripley DE5 3FP, 48 places
- Jen's Xplorers - Day nursery, Ripley DE5 3FW, ages 2 to 10, 30 placesOfsted, 22 June 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Ripley Nursery School Childcare - Day nursery, Ripley DE5 3HE, ages 0 to 3, 24 placesOfsted, 14 February 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Sunny Days Preschool Nursery Ltd - Day nursery, Ripley DE5 3HT, ages 2 to 4, 34 placesOfsted, 9 May 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Out-of-school clubs and other childcare
- Jpac Ltd At Waingroves Out Of School Club - Out-of-school club, Ripley DE5 9TD, 20 places
- Zest Breakfast Club - Out-of-school club, Ripley DE5 3BD
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 Ripley
- Schools in Ripley
- Ripley Nursery School - Nursery
- Codnor Community Primary School Church of England Controlled - Primary
- Denby Free CofE VA Primary School - Primary
- Lons Infant School - Primary
- Ripley Infant School - Primary
- Ripley Junior School - Primary
- Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery - Primary
- Street Lane Primary School - Primary
- Waingroves Primary School - Primary
Sources: Ofsted, registers as at 30 June 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.