Sign up free
Skip to main content

Nurseries in Sunderland

There are 48 nurseries and pre-schools on the Ofsted register in Sunderland, and 2 other childcare settings such as out-of-school clubs.

Inspection grades in Sunderland

  • Ofsted report cards: 12 settings (25 Strong standard, 43 Expected standard, 4 Needs attention)
  • Ofsted grades before November 2025: 33 settings (13 Outstanding, 20 Good)

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

Childminders and home childcarers

  • 66 registered childminders in Sunderland (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
  • 4 registered home childcarers in Sunderland (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)

Childminders look after children in their own homes. We show how many are registered, not who they are.

Nurseries and pre-schools

  • Apple Blossom Day Nursery - Day nursery, Sunderland SR4 6SD, ages 0 to 4, 20 places
    Ofsted, 26 April 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Apple Blossom Day Nursery - Day nursery, Sunderland SR5 3XJ, ages 0 to 4, 54 places
    Ofsted report card, 19 May 2026: Expected standard in 2 areas, Needs attention in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • B2B Plus Project - Day nursery, Sunderland SR2 0RY, ages 0 to 4, 34 places
    Ofsted, 21 July 2021: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Banana Moon Sunderland - Day nursery, Sunderland SR2 7SU, ages 0 to 3, 50 places
    Ofsted, 8 April 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Barnwell Academy - Day nursery, Houghton-Le-Spring DH4 7RT, ages 0 to 4, 36 places
    Ofsted, 3 November 2021: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Bubbly Gems Ltd - Day nursery, Sunderland SR4 7AF, ages 1 to 8, 26 places
    Ofsted report card, 13 May 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Busy Bees Day Nursery at Sunderland Cleadon - Day nursery, Sunderland SR6 7PG, ages 0 to 4, 130 places
    Ofsted, 22 November 2021: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Busy Bees Day Nursery at Sunderland Doxford - Day nursery, Sunderland SR3 3UY, ages 1 to 4, 90 places
    Ofsted, 30 May 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Busy Bees Day Nursery at Sunderland Fulwell - Day nursery, Sunderland SR5 1NW, ages 0 to 4, 82 places
    Ofsted, 23 November 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Busy Bees Day Nursery at Sunderland Ryhope Village - Day nursery, Sunderland SR2 0LW, ages 0 to 5, 117 places
    Ofsted, 16 May 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Buttons Nursery - Day nursery, Washington NE37 3HL, ages 0 to 4, 50 places
    Ofsted, 24 May 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Castle Kindergarten - Day nursery, Sunderland SR5 3QH, ages 1 to 4, 47 places
    Ofsted, 11 December 2024: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Castle Kindergarten - Day nursery, Washington NE37 1UA, ages 0 to 4, 53 places
    Ofsted, 18 June 2025: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Cheeky Chimps Childcare - Day nursery, Washington NE37 2SY, ages 1 to 4, 24 places
    Ofsted report card, 5 June 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Chilton Meadows Nursery - Day nursery, Houghton-le-Spring DH4 6LX, ages 0 to 4, 35 places
    Ofsted, 19 October 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Dubmire Daycare - Day nursery, Houghton Le Spring DH4 6HL, ages 0 to 5, 30 places
    Ofsted, 20 November 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Helpinghands Childcare - Day nursery, Sunderland SR3 1AT, ages 0 to 4, 14 places
    Ofsted, 8 November 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Helping Hands Childcare - Day nursery, Portsmouth Road SR4 9AR, ages 0 to 4, 58 places
    Ofsted report card, 21 July 2026: Strong standard in 1 area, Expected standard in 5 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Hetton Lyons Nursery School - Day nursery, Houghton le Spring DH5 0AH, ages 0 to 3, 25 places
    Ofsted, 25 April 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • High View Nursery - Day nursery, Sunderland SR5 1PZ, ages 0 to 3, 75 places
    Ofsted, 12 April 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Houghton Community Nursery School - Day nursery, Houghton Le Spring DH5 8AE, ages 0 to 3, 52 places
    Ofsted, 17 June 2025: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Hylton Red House Nursery School Birth to Three Provision - Day nursery, Sunderland SR5 5QL, ages 2 to 3, 42 places
    Ofsted report card, 3 June 2026: Strong standard in 5 areas, Expected standard in 1 area; safeguarding standards met
  • Kids 1st Ashbrooke - Day nursery, Sunderland SR2 7BX, ages 0 to 4, 108 places
    Ofsted, 27 October 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Kids Planet Ashbrooke - Day nursery, Sunderland SR2 7HH, ages 0 to 5, 60 places
    Ofsted, 11 July 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Kids Planet Ettrick Grove - Day nursery, Sunderland SR3 4AW, ages 1 to 4, 73 places
    Ofsted report card, 18 August 2026: Strong standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Little Angels Nursery - Day nursery, Sunderland SR3 4EN, ages 0 to 4, 58 places
    Ofsted, 4 December 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Little Crickets Argyle House - Day nursery, Sunderland SR2 7LA, 6 places
  • Little Jems - Day nursery, Houghton Le Spring DH5 9DG, ages 1 to 4, 72 places
    Ofsted report card, 14 July 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Little Treasures Nursery - Day nursery, Washington NE37 2TE, ages 1 to 4, 34 places
    Ofsted report card, 19 November 2025: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Mill Hill Childcare - Day nursery, Sunderland SR3 2PJ, ages 0 to 2, 6 places
    Ofsted, 23 August 2021: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Nesham Private Nursery - Day nursery, Houghton le Spring DH5 8AE, ages 0 to 4, 63 places
    Ofsted, 29 November 2021: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • New Beginnings - Day nursery, Sunderland SR5 2JX, ages 0 to 4, 43 places
    Ofsted report card, 5 December 2025: Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • New World Nursery - Day nursery, Washington NE37 2DU, ages 0 to 8, 72 places
    Ofsted, 19 June 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Nurserytime - Day nursery, Sunderland SR5 2LR, ages 0 to 4, 74 places
    Ofsted report card, 30 September 2026: Strong standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Pennywell Early Years Centre - Day nursery, Sunderland SR4 9AX, ages 0 to 4, 72 places
    Ofsted, 30 June 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Playdays 4 Kidz C.I.C - Day nursery, Sunderland SR4 8HW, ages 0 to 4, 30 places
    Ofsted, 16 November 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Playology Beach School Souter Lighthouse - Pre-school, Sunderland SR6 7NH, ages 2 to 4, 16 places
    Ofsted, 30 June 2025: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Saints in Light Nursery School - Day nursery, Sunderland SR1 2AQ, ages 2 to 4
    Ofsted report card, 9 July 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Siblings Nursery Beacon Ltd - Day nursery, Sunderland SR5 1SU, ages 0 to 4, 37 places
    Ofsted, 24 June 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Siblings Private Day Nursery - Day nursery, Sunderland SR5 2TA, ages 0 to 4, 43 places
    Ofsted, 14 June 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Springboard Nursery - Day nursery, Sunderland SR4 6AD, ages 0 to 4, 26 places
    Ofsted, 29 June 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Stepping Stones Day Nursery - Day nursery, Pattison Industrial Estate NE38 8NW, ages 0 to 4, 98 places
    Ofsted, 10 January 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Sunderland Women's Centre - Pre-school, Sunderland SR1 3PZ
  • Sunflowers Nursery - Day nursery, Sunderland SR5 4LW, ages 1 to 4, 46 places
    Ofsted, 17 May 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • The Cedars Nursery Sunderland - Day nursery, Sunderland SR2 7TW, ages 0 to 4, 63 places
    Ofsted, 9 May 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Washington Day Nursery - Day nursery, Washington NE37 1HA, ages 0 to 3, 55 places
    Ofsted, 18 September 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Your Co-Op Little Pioneers Nursery and Pre-School Hetton - Day nursery, Houghton Le Spring DH5 9PG, ages 0 to 4, 78 places
    Ofsted report card, 18 August 2026: Strong standard in 5 areas, Expected standard in 1 area; safeguarding standards met
  • Your Co-Op Little Pioneers Nursery and Pre-School Tavistock House - Day nursery, Sunderland SR1 1PG, 132 places

Out-of-school clubs and other childcare

  • Helpinghands Out of School Club - Out-of-school club, Sunderland SR3 1AT
  • Lamesley Childcare@ St John Boste - Out-of-school club, Washington NE38 0HL, 30 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)

Towns in Sunderland

Schools in Sunderland

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