38 nurseries in Bedford

Every day nursery in the Bedford council area, best rated first, with the ones Ofsted rated Outstanding and what a place costs after the free hours.

38 day nurseries

5 rated Outstanding

5 with a new report card (13%)

2,403 places in total

£141 a week, 50 hours for a 2 year old after free hours

Outstanding nurseries in Bedford

7 nurseries in the area are in our top band: rated Outstanding, or graded Strong standard or better across a new report card.

Top-band day nurseries in Bedford
#	Nursery	Ofsted outcome	Inspected	Places
1	Oakley Kindergarten Oakley, MK43	Strong standard in all 6	23 April 2026	40
2	Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) Bedford, MK44	Strong standard in all 6	11 November 2025	62
3	Puddleducks Nursery & Pre-School Bedford, MK44	Outstanding	25 July 2023	67
4	Kiddi Caru Nursery Bedford, MK42	Outstanding	8 June 2023	95
5	Bedford Greenacre Nursery Bedford, MK40	Outstanding	16 November 2022	100
6	Lavenders Day Nursery Bedford, MK40	Outstanding	9 August 2022	108
7	Little Pilgrims Bedford, MK41	Outstanding	17 April 2013	155

Day nurseries in Bedford, best rated first

All 38 day nurseries in Bedford
#	Nursery	Ofsted outcome	Inspected	Places
1	Oakley Kindergarten Oakley, MK43	Strong standard in all 6	23 April 2026	40
2	Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) Bedford, MK44	Strong standard in all 6	11 November 2025	62
3	Puddleducks Nursery & Pre-School Bedford, MK44	Outstanding	25 July 2023	67
4	Kiddi Caru Nursery Bedford, MK42	Outstanding	8 June 2023	95
5	Bedford Greenacre Nursery Bedford, MK40	Outstanding	16 November 2022	100
6	Lavenders Day Nursery Bedford, MK40	Outstanding	9 August 2022	108
7	Little Pilgrims Bedford, MK41	Outstanding	17 April 2013	155
8	Toybox Great Denham Great Denham, MK40	Expected standard in all 6	20 April 2026	82
9	Blue Orkids @ Queens Park Community Nursery Bedford, MK40	Good	12 August 2025	44
10	Blue Orkids @ Wootton Community Nursery Bedford, MK43	Good	9 July 2025	60
11	Monkey Puzzle Bedford Bedford, MK40	Good	19 May 2025	75
12	Blue Orkids @ Goldington Community Nursery Bedford, MK41	Good	13 May 2025	51
13	Clapham Pre-School Bedford, MK41	Good	16 January 2025	59
14	Banana Moon Day Nursery Bedford, MK42	Good	11 October 2024	70
15	Overdale Tots Pre-School Bedford, MK41	Good	2 October 2024	40
16	Little Fishes Bedford, MK43	Good	18 July 2024	55
17	Puddleduck Nursery School Clapham, MK41	Good	8 May 2024	34
18	The Lodge Playgroup Bedford, MK42	Good	29 January 2024	20
19	Play 2 Learn Day Nursery Bedford, MK41	Good	15 September 2023	75
20	Putnoe Woods Preschool Bedford, MK41	Good	17 August 2023	70
21	Turvey Pre-School Playgroup Bedford, MK43	Good	13 June 2023	24
22	Warren Childcare Centre Bedford, MK42	Good	6 December 2022	32
23	Aristotots Nursery School Bedford, MK40	Good	10 November 2022	76
24	Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Bedford, MK41	Good	7 November 2022	100
25	Little Step Day Care Bedford, MK41	Good	28 July 2022	48
26	Debbie's Day Care Ltd Bedford, MK40	Good	12 May 2022	23
27	Jumping Jacks Childcare Bedford, MK40	Good	8 March 2022	52
28	Tiddlywinks Day Nursery (Kempston Rural) Limited Bedford, MK43	Good	21 January 2022	74
29	St Mark's Preschool Bedford, MK41	Good	4 November 2021	56
30	Junior Adventures Group @ Lakeview Bedford, MK42	Good	4 October 2021	25
31	Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow Bedford, MK42	Needs attention in 6 of 6	28 April 2026	112
32	Cheeky Monkeys Two Bedford, MK40	Needs attention in 6 of 6	16 April 2026	51
33	Blue Orkids at Putnoe Bedford, MK41	Not yet graded	Not yet	30
34	Bromham Holiday Fun Club Bromham, MK43	Not yet graded	Not yet	42
35	Inn Farm Private Day Nursery Bedford, MK44	Not yet graded	Not yet	82
36	Keep Guard Day Nursery Ltd Bedford, MK42	Not yet graded	Not yet	60
37	Little Toes Nursery Wilstead, MK45	Not yet graded	Not yet	29
38	Polam School Nursery Bedford, MK40	Not yet graded	Not yet	125

How the ranking works: our ranking policy. What the grades mean: Ofsted report cards explained.

Towns in Bedford

Clapham 6

Nurseries by postcode in Bedford

Nursery fees in Bedford

What day nurseries in East of England charge on average. Fees in Bedford itself can sit above or below this.

Average weekly price in term time, East of England, Coram Childcare Survey 2026
Child's age	25 hours a week	50 hours a week
Under 2	£192no funded hours	£155after 30 funded hours
2 years old	£176no funded hours	£141after 30 funded hours
3 to 4 years old	£67after the free 15 hours	£135after 30 funded hours

Regional average, not any one nursery's price. Source: Coram Childcare Survey 2026. Work out your own monthly cost.

30 hours free childcare in Bedford

The free hours follow national rules, so they are the same in Bedford as anywhere in England. Every day nursery listed here is registered with Ofsted, which is what a nursery needs to offer them.

Check which hours your child can get

Who	Free hours a week
Working parents, child from 9 months	30 hours
Every 3 and 4 year old	15 hours
2 year olds in families getting some benefits	15 hours

Nursery list and inspection outcomes from Ofsted's register of childcare providers, as at 30 June 2026.

Fees shown are regional averages from the Coram Family and Childcare Survey 2026, not any one nursery’s price. Confirm with the nursery before enrolling.

Eligibility rules are the government’s (childcarechoices.gov.uk). Whether a nursery offers the funded hours, and what it charges for meals and consumables, is the nursery’s decision; ask for its funded-hours terms in writing.