Nurseries and childcare in Shropshire
We know of 100 nurseries, preschools and childcare providers across Shropshire. 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
- Busy Bodies Child Care Centre Home service Bishop Mascall Centre, Lower Galdeford, Ludlow, SY8 5 Call
- Dads The Word Nursery Day care preschool Bridgnorth, WV16 5 Call
- Explorers at Trefonen Day care preschool School Lane, Trefonen, Oswestry, SY10 5 Call
- Freda's Day Centre Day care preschool 73, 75A Beatrice St, Oswestry, SY11 1HL 5 Call
- Happy Faces Day Care Nursery Day care preschool Packwood Hall School, Shrewsbury, SY4 1HX 5 Call
- Hodnet Pre-School Playgroup Preschool Shrewsbury St, Hodnet, TF9 3NS 5 Call
- Little Green House Childcare Home service The Old Mill Barn, 51 Mill St, Bridgnorth, WV15 5AG 5 Call
- Nesscliffe House Nursery School Preschool Longden Rd, Shrewsbury, SY3 5 Call
- Baby Sensory Shropshire Preschool Bayston Hill Memorial Hall, Lyth Hill Road, Shrewsbury, SY3 0DR Call
- Barrow Village Preschool Day care preschool Barrow, Broseley, TF12 Call
- Bicton Heath Pre-School Preschool Pensfold Gains Park, Bicton Heath, Shrewsbury, SY3 5HF Call
- Bojangles Day Nursery Day care preschool Baschurch, SY4 Call
- Bomere Heath Sunshine Pre School Preschool The Crescent, Shrewsbury, SY4 3PQ Call
- Busy Bees Preschool Shrewsbury, SY2 Call
- Chatterbox Nursery Child care and day care Bromfield Rd Unit 1, Ludlow, SY8 Call
- Cheswardine Nursery Preschool Cheswardine County Primary School Glebe Close, Market Drayton, TF9 Call
- Childfirst Welbeck Day care preschool Child First, Welbeck Estate, Ollerton, S80 Call
- Childrensworld Cressage Day care preschool Sheinton Rd, Shrewsbury, SY5 6DH Call
- Christ Church Pre School Nursery Preschool Long Meadow, Bayston Hill, SY3 0NU Call
- Church Preen Pre-school Preschool Church Preen Village Hall, Church Stretton, SY6 Call
- Craven Arms Childcare & Pre-school Home service Community Centre, Newington Way, Craven Arms, SY7 9PS Call
- Crowmoor Nursery and Preschool Home service Crowmere Road, Shrewsbury, SY2 5JJ Call
- Earlyworld Kids Club Day care preschool Racecourse Ln, Shrewsbury, SY3 5BJ Call
- Explorers at Hadnall Day care preschool Village Hall, 23 Shrewsbury Rd, Shrewsbury, SY4 4AG 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 Shropshire?
We know of 100 nurseries, preschools and childcare providers across Shropshire. 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.