91 nurseries in Durham
Every day nursery in the Durham council area, best rated first, with the ones Ofsted rated Outstanding and what a place costs after the free hours.
91 day nurseries
16 rated Outstanding
5 with a new report card (5%)
5,224 places in total
£126 a week, 50 hours for a 2 year old after free hours
Outstanding nurseries in Durham
16 nurseries in the area are in our top band: rated Outstanding, or graded Strong standard or better across a new report card.
| # | Nursery | Ofsted outcome | Inspected | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Selby Cottage Childcare Centre Chester-le-Street, DH2 | Outstanding | 24 June 2025 | 77 |
| 2 | Wingate Community Childcare Ltd Wingate, TS28 | Outstanding | 29 August 2024 | 49 |
| 3 | Clever Clogs Day Nursery Durham, DH1 | Outstanding | 11 June 2024 | 122 |
| 4 | Seaham Kindergarten Seaham, SR7 | Outstanding | 1 June 2023 | 90 |
| 5 | Mains House Nursery Chester-le-Street, DH3 | Outstanding | 18 May 2023 | 36 |
| 6 | Kirklands at Startforth Barnard Castle, DL12 | Outstanding | 26 April 2023 | 24 |
| 7 | Clever Clogs Day Nursery Durham Durham, DH6 | Outstanding | 15 March 2023 | 108 |
| 8 | First Steps Chester-le-Street, DH3 | Outstanding | 31 January 2023 | 44 |
| 9 | St Oswald's Pre-School Newton Aycliffe, DL5 | Outstanding | 20 January 2023 | 52 |
| 10 | The Laurels Child Care Durham, DH1 | Outstanding | 14 December 2022 | 34 |
| 11 | Durham University Day Nursery Durham, DH1 | Outstanding | 1 December 2022 | 90 |
| 12 | Ribbon Daycare Seaham, SR7 | Outstanding | 29 November 2022 | 79 |
Day nurseries in Durham, best rated first
| # | Nursery | Ofsted outcome | Inspected | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Selby Cottage Childcare Centre Chester-le-Street, DH2 | Outstanding | 24 June 2025 | 77 |
| 2 | Wingate Community Childcare Ltd Wingate, TS28 | Outstanding | 29 August 2024 | 49 |
| 3 | Clever Clogs Day Nursery Durham, DH1 | Outstanding | 11 June 2024 | 122 |
| 4 | Seaham Kindergarten Seaham, SR7 | Outstanding | 1 June 2023 | 90 |
| 5 | Mains House Nursery Chester-le-Street, DH3 | Outstanding | 18 May 2023 | 36 |
| 6 | Kirklands at Startforth Barnard Castle, DL12 | Outstanding | 26 April 2023 | 24 |
| 7 | Clever Clogs Day Nursery Durham Durham, DH6 | Outstanding | 15 March 2023 | 108 |
| 8 | First Steps Chester-le-Street, DH3 | Outstanding | 31 January 2023 | 44 |
| 9 | St Oswald's Pre-School Newton Aycliffe, DL5 | Outstanding | 20 January 2023 | 52 |
| 10 | The Laurels Child Care Durham, DH1 | Outstanding | 14 December 2022 | 34 |
| 11 | Durham University Day Nursery Durham, DH1 | Outstanding | 1 December 2022 | 90 |
| 12 | Ribbon Daycare Seaham, SR7 | Outstanding | 29 November 2022 | 79 |
| 13 | Playology Beach School & Learning Studio Seaham, SR7 | Outstanding | 23 September 2022 | 20 |
| 14 | Explorers Day Care Limited Bishop Auckland, DL14 | Outstanding | 12 July 2022 | 111 |
| 15 | The Louisa Centre Nursery Stanley, DH9 | Outstanding | 16 February 2022 | 42 |
| 16 | The Sunshine Nursery Peterlee, SR8 | Outstanding | 11 November 2021 | 62 |
| 17 | Green Lane Nursery and Childcare Centre Barnard Castle, DL12 | Strong standard in 4 of 6 | 27 November 2025 | 95 |
| 18 | Ribbon Daycare Fishburn Stockton-on-Tees, TS21 | Expected standard in all 6 | 23 January 2026 | 39 |
| 19 | The Sunshine Day Nursery @ Seascape Children's Centre Peterlee, SR8 | Good | 29 September 2025 | 30 |
| 20 | Dean Bank Early Years Ferryhill, DL17 | Good | 12 September 2025 | 20 |
| 21 | Yellow Wellies Durham, DH1 | Good | 5 September 2025 | 52 |
| 22 | York House Nursery Bishop Auckland, DL14 | Good | 27 August 2025 | 72 |
| 23 | Castle Kindergarten Haswell, DH6 | Good | 13 August 2025 | 59 |
| 24 | Little Meadows Nursery Barnard Castle, DL12 | Good | 22 July 2025 | 48 |
| 25 | Kids Planet Durham Durham, DH7 | Good | 30 June 2025 | 74 |
| 26 | Kids 1st - Durham Durham, DH1 | Good | 18 June 2025 | 110 |
| 27 | Tiny Tinkers Nursery Houghton Le Spring, DH4 | Good | 11 June 2025 | 36 |
| 28 | Playdays Nursery Newton Aycliffe, DL5 | Good | 11 April 2025 | 54 |
| 29 | Wheatley Hill Community Nursery Ltd Wheatley Hill, DH6 | Good | 12 December 2024 | 26 |
| 30 | Busy Bees (Durham) Ltd Durham, DH1 | Good | 5 November 2024 | 169 |
| 31 | Kidzone Crook, DL15 | Good | 10 October 2024 | 60 |
| 32 | Little Waves Day Nursery Seaham, SR7 | Good | 26 September 2024 | 48 |
| 33 | Busy Bears (Durham) Ltd Durham, DH7 | Good | 25 July 2024 | 172 |
| 34 | Emeralds Little Gems Daycare - Stanley Centre Stanley, DH9 | Good | 3 July 2024 | 46 |
| 35 | Shotton Children's Centre Shotton Colliery, DH6 | Good | 7 June 2024 | 26 |
| 36 | Shining Stars Nursery Coxhoe, DH6 | Good | 4 June 2024 | 24 |
| 37 | Stepping Stones Day Nursery Durham Ltd Durham, DH1 | Good | 30 May 2024 | 22 |
| 38 | Happy Smiles Consett, DH8 | Good | 13 May 2024 | 115 |
| 39 | Pixley Dell Nursery Spennymoor, DL16 | Good | 9 May 2024 | 43 |
| 40 | Bright Star Nursery Chester Le Street, DH3 | Good | 8 May 2024 | 89 |
| 41 | Chilton Happytimes Daycare Ferryhill, DL17 | Good | 8 April 2024 | 32 |
| 42 | Byerley Road Preschool Shildon, DL4 | Good | 18 March 2024 | 45 |
| 43 | Dawn Till Dusk Childcare Barnard Castle, DL12 | Good | 7 March 2024 | 21 |
| 44 | Craghead Childcare Centre Stanley, DH9 | Good | 23 January 2024 | 38 |
| 45 | Woodlands Day Nursery Durham, DH7 | Good | 21 August 2023 | 55 |
| 46 | Kidz Village Nursery & Pre-School Stanley, DH9 | Good | 3 August 2023 | 51 |
| 47 | Big Hands Little Hands Nursery School Consett, DH8 | Good | 25 July 2023 | 88 |
| 48 | Nurserytime Willington, DL15 | Good | 31 May 2023 | 89 |
| 49 | The Sunshine Day Nursery Peterlee, SR8 | Good | 26 May 2023 | 66 |
| 50 | Daybreak Nursery Bishop Auckland, DL14 | Good | 18 May 2023 | 30 |
| 51 | Howletch & Shotton Primary Childcare Peterlee, SR8 | Good | 11 May 2023 | 40 |
| 52 | Buddies Nursery Bishop Auckland, DL14 | Good | 3 May 2023 | 49 |
| 53 | Trimdon's Little Tykes Ltd Trimdon Station, TS29 | Good | 3 May 2023 | 22 |
| 54 | Hazel Dene Childcare Ltd Hartlepool, TS27 | Good | 18 April 2023 | 32 |
| 55 | Yellow Wellies Bishop Auckland, DL14 | Good | 27 March 2023 | 100 |
| 56 | Brandon Happytimes Daycare Brandon, DH7 | Good | 2 March 2023 | 44 |
| 57 | Little Cubs Days Nursery Newton Aycliffe, DL5 | Good | 19 January 2023 | 97 |
| 58 | Coundon and Leeholme Early Years Centre Coundon, DL14 | Good | 15 December 2022 | 73 |
| 59 | Aycliffe Day Nursery Newton Aycliffe, DL5 | Good | 22 November 2022 | 28 |
| 60 | Kelloe Phoenix Centre Kelloe, DH6 | Good | 15 November 2022 | 54 |
| 61 | Eden Garden Nursery Chester Le Street, DH2 | Good | 31 October 2022 | 61 |
| 62 | New Beginnings (Moorside) Consett, DH8 | Good | 28 October 2022 | 32 |
| 63 | Castle Kindergarten Durham, DH7 | Good | 3 October 2022 | 48 |
| 64 | Positive Steps Nursery Peterlee, SR8 | Good | 29 September 2022 | 58 |
| 65 | Hippitots Limited Durham, DH6 | Good | 23 June 2022 | 48 |
| 66 | House of Eden Newton Aycliffe, DL5 | Good | 24 May 2022 | 32 |
| 67 | Shotley Bridge Nursery School Limited Consett, DH8 | Good | 6 May 2022 | 98 |
| 68 | Rainbow Nursery Middlestone Moor, DL16 | Good | 13 April 2022 | 50 |
| 69 | Haystacks Nursery Newton Aycliffe, DL5 | Good | 18 March 2022 | 64 |
| 70 | House of Eden Newton Aycliffe, DL5 | Good | 17 March 2022 | 83 |
| 71 | Adventure Valley Day Nursery Durham, DH1 | Good | 8 March 2022 | 86 |
| 72 | Jack in the Box Day Care Spennymoor, DL16 | Good | 2 February 2022 | 52 |
| 73 | Flowerpots Bishop Auckland, DL14 | Good | 20 January 2022 | 38 |
| 74 | Witton Gilbert Nursery Durham, DH7 | Good | 6 December 2021 | 18 |
| 75 | Emeralds Little Gems Daycare - Stanley House Stanley, DH9 | Good | 16 November 2021 | 38 |
| 76 | Castle View Private Day Nursery Durham, DH3 | Good | 10 September 2021 | 135 |
| 77 | Tilly-Mints Cherubs Day Nursery Ltd Consett, DH8 | Good | 30 July 2021 | 75 |
| 78 | Emeralds Little Gems Daycare - Crook Crook, DL15 | Good | 15 July 2021 | 48 |
| 79 | Shildon Early Years Shildon, DL4 | Needs attention in 1 of 6 | 13 November 2025 | 28 |
| 80 | Little Acorns (North East) Ltd. Stanley, DH9 | Needs attention in 5 of 6 | 6 May 2026 | 61 |
| 81 | Nellie's Day Nursery Shildon, DL4 | Safeguarding not met | 7 January 2026 | 75 |
| 82 | Bloemfontein Nursery Stanley, DH9 | Not yet graded | Not yet | 12 |
| 83 | Bright Futures Ferryhill After School Club Ferryhill, DL17 | Not yet graded | Not yet | |
| 84 | Dream Big Nursery School Chester Le Street, DH2 | Not yet graded | Not yet | 44 |
| 85 | Franklin House Children's Nursery Sedgefield, TS21 | Not yet graded | Not yet | 40 |
| 86 | Harbour View Kindergarten Seaham, SR7 | Not yet graded | Not yet | 80 |
| 87 | The Hive Quarters Spennymoor, DL16 | Not yet graded | Not yet | |
| 88 | Westfield House Nursery Crook, DL15 | Not yet graded | Not yet | 49 |
| 89 | Wheatley Hill Community Nursery Durham, DH6 | Not yet graded | Not yet | 35 |
| 90 | Wingate Childcare in Nature Wingate, TS28 | Not yet graded | Not yet | 48 |
| 91 | Your Co-Op Little Pioneers Nursery and Pre-School Seaham Seaham, SR7 | Not yet graded | Not yet | 65 |
How the ranking works: our ranking policy. What the grades mean: Ofsted report cards explained.
Towns in Durham
- Barnard Castle 4
- Bishop Auckland 6
- Chester Le Street 6
- Consett 5
- Crook 3
- Ferryhill 3
- Houghton Le Spring 7
- Newton Aycliffe 7
- Peterlee 5
- Seaham 6
- Shildon 3
- Spennymoor 3
- Stanley 8
Nurseries by postcode in Durham
- DH1 (Durham) 8
- DH2 (Ouston, Pelton) 3
- DH3 (Great Lumley) 7
- DH4 (Penshaw, Shiney Row, West Rainton) 4
- DH6 (South Hetton, Haswell, Shotton Colliery) 8
- DH7 (Brandon, Lanchester, Esh Winning) 6
- DH8 (Consett, Blackhill, Bridgehill) 5
- DH9 (Dipton, Stanley, Annfield Plain) 7
- DL4 (Shildon) 3
- DL5 (Newton Aycliffe, Heighington) 7
- DL12 (Barnard Castle, Bowes, Middleton-in-Teesdale) 4
- DL14 (Bishop Auckland, Evenwood) 7
- DL15 (Crook, Willington) 4
- DL16 (Spennymoor) 4
- DL17 (Ferryhill, Chilton, Cornforth) 3
- SR7 (Cold Hesledon, Dalton-le-Dale, Dawdon) 6
- SR8 (Easington, Easington Colliery, Horden) 5
Nursery fees in Durham
What day nurseries in North East charge on average. Fees in Durham itself can sit above or below this.
| Child's age | 25 hours a week | 50 hours a week |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 | £166no funded hours | £140after 30 funded hours |
| 2 years old | £159no funded hours | £126after 30 funded hours |
| 3 to 4 years old | £58after the free 15 hours | £117after 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 Durham
The free hours follow national rules, so they are the same in Durham as anywhere in England. Every day nursery listed here is registered with Ofsted, which is what a nursery needs to offer them.
| 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.