Nurseries and childcare in Leicester
We know of 71 nurseries, preschools and childcare providers across Leicester. Most nurseries are private, voluntary or part of a school, and Ofsted inspects those too: every one has a report on Ofsted’s website.
Nurseries and childcare by area
A few to start with
- Nursery Rhymes Day care preschool 13 Knighton Grange Rd, Leicester, LE2 2LF 5 Call
- Banana Moon Day Nursery Day care preschool 208 Sandhills Ave, Leicester, LE5 1PL 5 Call
- Kiddycare Day Nursery Day care preschool 71 Melton Rd, Leicester, LE4 6PN 5 Call
- Knighton Day Nursery Preschool Welford Rd, Leicester, LE2 5 Call
- Little Mumins Day care preschool 89 Rolleston St, Leicester, LE5 3SD 5 Call
- Little Stars Day care preschool Lutterworth Rd, Leicester, LE2 5 Call
- Miss Honey's Pre-school Preschool 39-45 Pool Rd, Leicester, LE3 9GH 5 Call
- Nursery Rhymes Preschool Ring Rd, Leicester, LE2 5 Call
- St Mary's Playgroup Preschool 3FZ, Braunstone West Social Centre, 1 St Mary's Ave, Leicester, LE3 3FT 5 Call
- Stoneygate Montessori Preschool 279 London Rd, Leicester, LE2 3BE 5 Call
- Ashbourne Day Nurseries Day care preschool 17 Millstone Lane, Leicester, LE1 5JN Call
- Busy Bees Day care preschool Unit E&F, Troon Way Business Centre, Humberstone Ln, Leicester, LE4 9HA Call
- Children First at Leicester Preschool Riverview, Tarragon Rd, Leicester, LE2 7ET Call
- Dots and Tots Nursery Day care preschool Avebury Ave, Leicester, LE4 0FQ Call
- ELNS Day care preschool 78 Uppingham Road, Leicester, LE5 0QE Call
- German Kindergarten Leicester Preschool 16 Queens Rd, Leicester, LE2 1WP Call
- Holmfield Day Centre Child care and day care Croft Rd, Leicester, LE4 1HA 5 Call
- Kaleidoscope Day care preschool 186 Knighton Ln, Leicester, LE2 8BF Call
- Kiddy Planet Nursery Ltd Day care preschool Children S Resource Centre, 70 Knighton Ln, Leicester, LE2 8BE Call
- Leicester Montessori School Preschool Baby Unit, 190 London Rd Unit 190, Leicester, LE2 1ND Call
- Little Explorers Day Nursery Preschool Knighton Road, Knighton, LE2 5 Call
- Little John's Preschool Preschool St John the Baptist Church Rooms, Clarendon Park Rd, Leicester, LE2 3AD Call
- Little Learners Day Nursery Day care preschool Coleman Neighbourhood Centre, Balderstone Cl, Leicester, LE5 5 Call
- Little Peepul Day Nursery Day care preschool 26 Orchardson Ave, Leicester, LE4 6DP 5 Call
Choosing a nursery
- Read the latest Ofsted report. Search by name or postcode on reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Private nurseries and childminders are on it as well as school nurseries.
- Visit, and ask about the day. Ratios of staff to children, how they settle a new child in, food, naps and time outdoors.
- Ask about funded hours and extra charges. Some nurseries charge for meals, nappies or trips on top of funded hours.
- Check waiting lists early. Popular nurseries fill months ahead, especially for babies.
Questions people ask
What do Ofsted grades mean for nurseries?
Until late 2025 Ofsted gave one overall grade: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate. Newer inspections give a report card instead, grading each area on a scale from exceptional to urgent improvement. Older grades stay on a nursery’s record until its next inspection.
Can I get free childcare hours?
In England every three and four year old can get 15 hours a week of funded childcare in term time. Working parents can get up to 30 hours a week from when their child is nine months old, if each parent earns at least 16 hours a week at the minimum wage and under £100,000 a year. Check and apply at childcarechoices.gov.uk.
How do I check a nursery’s Ofsted report?
Search for it by name or postcode on reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Every registered nursery and childminder in England has a page there with its inspection reports.
How many nurseries are there in Leicester?
We know of 71 nurseries, preschools and childcare providers across Leicester. Childminders working from home don’t always appear on maps, so there may be more.
Other things people look for
Nursery school inspections from Ofsted, Open Government Licence. Listings from Overture Maps, the Food Standards Agency and © OpenStreetMap contributors. Missing one? Tell us.