Best nurseries in Preston
37 Ofsted-registered nurseries and pre-schools, best Ofsted result first: the latest report card or overall grade, then the most recent inspection. Childminders are not listed (Ofsted does not publish their addresses).
| # | Nursery | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Little Sparkles Nursery Sessional day care · 160 places · PR1 6QQ | Outstanding (2025) |
| 2 | Wonderland Day Nursery Full day care · 50 places · PR2 1EN | Outstanding (2025) |
| 3 | University Of Central Lancashire Pre-School Centre Full day care · 90 places · PR1 2HE | Outstanding (2023) |
| 4 | Kids Planet Preston Full day care · 72 places · PR2 9HP | Outstanding (2022) |
| 5 | Partou Bluebells Day Nursery & Pre-School Full day care · 90 places · PR2 9PS | Good (2025) |
| 6 | Discovery Vine Childcare Centre - Longsands Full day care · 54 places · PR2 9PS | Good (2025) |
| 7 | Little Stars Day Nursery Full day care · 52 places · PR2 2LQ | Good (2025) |
| 8 | Little Wonders Nursery and Educational Services Ltd. Full day care · 50 places · PR1 4XQ | Good (2024) |
| 9 | Rainbow Wood Day Nursery Full day care · 68 places · PR2 5BE | Good (2024) |
| 10 | St Andrew's Preschool Ashton Sessional day care · 27 places · PR2 1EQ | Good (2024) |
| 11 | Busy Bees Day Nursery at Preston Hospital Full day care · 60 places · PR2 9HT | Good (2024) |
| 12 | Carey Childcare Centre Full day care · 44 places · PR1 1DX | Good (2024) |
| 13 | Nursery @ Lea Full day care · 110 places · PR2 1PD | Good (2024) |
| 14 | Small Wonders Nursery Full day care · 74 places · PR1 7HR | Good (2024) |
| 15 | Mini's Daycare Full day care · 31 places · PR1 8XE | Good (2023) |
| 16 | The Rainbow Nursery Full day care · 43 places · PR2 6TU | Good (2023) |
| 17 | Cottam Before and After School Club Full day care · 67 places · PR4 0NY | Good (2023) |
| 18 | Cliff House Nursery Full day care · 56 places · PR2 6YQ | Good (2023) |
| 19 | Little Achievers Day Nursery Full day care · 89 places · PR2 6BJ | Good (2023) |
| 20 | Holme from Home Pre-school Full day care · 20 places · PR1 6HP | Good (2023) |
| 21 | Maahad Neighbourhood Nursery Sessional day care · 24 places · PR1 6SR | Good (2022) |
| 22 | St Anthony's Pre-School/Playgroup Sessional day care · 32 places · PR2 3SQ | Good (2022) |
| 23 | Little Achievers Urban Forest School Nursery Full day care · 62 places · PR1 3QU | Good (2022) |
| 24 | Tinkerbells Day Nursery Full day care · 64 places · PR2 1DU | Good (2022) |
| 25 | Li'l Champs Full day care · 32 places · PR1 1QL | Good (2022) |
| 26 | TicTots Day Nursery & Creche Full day care · 88 places · PR1 8UY | Good (2022) |
| 27 | TicTots Day Nursery & Creche Full day care · 56 places · PR2 1TU | Good (2021) |
| 28 | Partou Fern Bank Day Nursery & Pre-School Full day care · 98 places · PR2 8HL | Good (2021) |
| 29 | Oxford Gems Nursery Full day care · 40 places · PR1 3YN | Good (2021) |
| 30 | Tudor House Day Nursery @ Ribbleton Full day care · 60 places · PR2 6DB | Good (2021) |
| 31 | Busy Bears Day Nursery Full day care · 50 places · PR1 6HL | Good (2021) |
| 32 | Busy Bees Day Nursery at Preston Ashton House Full day care · 161 places · PR2 1HL | Report card: 1 strong, 4 expected (Feb 2026) |
| 33 | Childsplay Day Nursery Full day care · 24 places · PR1 5AR | Requires improvement (2025) |
| 34 | Happy Minds at St Maria Goretti Full day care · 6 places · PR2 6SJ | Not yet inspected |
| 35 | Sahara in Preston Sessional day care · PR1 4XQ | Not yet inspected |
| 36 | Shining Stars Nursery Full day care · 72 places · PR1 3TH | Not yet inspected |
| 37 | Tudor House Day Nursery @ Grasshoppers Full day care · 70 places · PR2 9BS | Not yet inspected |
How much does nursery cost in Preston?
Typical weekly nursery prices for a child under two in North West, from the Coram Childcare Survey 2026. A guide only: ask each nursery for its own fees.
Working parents in England can get 30 funded hours a week in term time from when their child is 9 months old, so a 25-hour place can cost little or nothing in term time. Every 3 and 4 year old gets at least 15 funded hours. Funded hours cover 38 weeks a year; nurseries can charge for extra hours, meals and activities. Check what you can get at Childcare Choices.
Questions
What are the best nurseries in Preston?
Of 37 nurseries and pre-schools in Preston, 4 have Ofsted's top results (Outstanding, or mostly strong or exceptional on the new report card). Listed first: Little Sparkles Nursery, Wonderland Day Nursery, University Of Central Lancashire Pre-School Centre.
How much does nursery cost in Preston?
In North West, a part-time place (25 hours a week) for a child under two typically costs £178 a week without funded hours (Coram Childcare Survey 2026). Working parents can get 30 funded hours a week in term time from 9 months.
How many nurseries are there in Preston?
37 Ofsted-registered nurseries and pre-schools, 33 of them inspected so far.
Nurseries nearby
Fulwood · Broughton (Preston) · Ashton-on-Ribble · Brookfield · Cadley · Longsands
Neighbourhoods
Ashton-on-Ribble & Larches · Brookfield & Holme Slack · Frenchwood & Fishwick · Haslam Park · Lea & Marina · Longsands · Moor Park · Plungington & University · Preston Town Centre · Ribbleton · St George's · St Matthew's
Source: Ofsted early years inspections. Ofsted's report card (from November 2025) grades curriculum, achievement, behaviour, children's welfare and leadership as exceptional, strong, expected, needs attention or urgent improvement; earlier inspections gave one overall grade.