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Nurseries in Sleaford

There are 12 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Sleaford, and 5 other childcare settings such as out-of-school clubs.

Inspection grades in Sleaford

  • Ofsted grades before November 2025: 11 settings (2 Outstanding, 9 Good)

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

Nurseries and pre-schools

  • Busy Bees Preschool - Pre-school, Sleaford NG34 8JZ, ages 2 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted, 7 March 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Clarence House Sleaford - Day nursery, Sleaford NG34 8BG, 58 places
  • Country Kids Day Nursery Sleaford - Day nursery, Sleaford NG34 7RG, ages 0 to 4, 50 places
    Ofsted, 24 January 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Eslaforde Private Nursery - Day nursery, Sleaford NG34 7PU, ages 0 to 4, 33 places
    Ofsted, 27 May 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • First Steps Nursery - Day nursery, Sleaford NG34 9FJ, ages 0 to 4, 70 places
    Ofsted, 10 October 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Heckington Pre-School - Pre-school, Sleaford NG34 9RX, ages 2 to 4, 19 places
    Ofsted, 20 May 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Little Gems Day Nursery - Day nursery, Sleaford NG34 7EQ, ages 0 to 4, 75 places
    Ofsted, 12 August 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Little Lockets Nursery - Day nursery, Sleaford NG34 9JY, ages 0 to 4, 74 places
    Ofsted, 1 March 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • RAFA Kidz Cranwell - Day nursery, Sleaford NG34 8HB, ages 1 to 4, 100 places
    Ofsted, 4 March 2024: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Ruskington Rascals Preschool - Day nursery, Sleaford NG34 9HS, ages 2 to 4, 38 places
    Ofsted, 7 March 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • SDN (Sleaford) Limited - Day nursery, Sleaford NG34 7AP, ages 0 to 4, 109 places
    Ofsted, 12 October 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Sleaford New Life Preschool - Day nursery, Sleaford NG34 7JP, ages 2 to 4, 31 places
    Ofsted, 18 June 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective

Out-of-school clubs and other childcare

  • First Steps at Winchelsea School - Out-of-school club, Sleaford NG34 9BY, 30 places
  • Kaleidoscope Care Sleaford - Out-of-school club, Sleaford NG34 7EA, 80 places
  • MACCA Sports Academies at Sleaford Rugby Club - Out-of-school club, Sleaford NG34 8SP
  • Premier Education WAC @ Leasingham St Andrews C of E Primary School - Out-of-school club, Sleaford NG34 8JS, 18 places
  • Sleaford Elite Gymnastics & Trampoline & Dragonland - Out-of-school club, Sleaford NG34 7EH

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 Sleaford

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