44 nurseries in Exeter

Every day nursery in Exeter on the Ofsted register, best rated first, with what a place costs in South West after the free hours.

44 day nurseries

7 rated Outstanding

3 with a new report card (7%)

2,155 places in total

£133 a week, 50 hours for a 2 year old after free hours

Best-rated nurseries in Exeter

The top of our Exeter ranking: Ofsted's outcome first, then the newest inspection.

Best-rated day nurseries in Exeter
#	Nursery	Ofsted outcome	Inspected	Places
1	Wildlings Forest Kindergarten EX7 0QE	Strong standard in all 6	5 December 2025	16
2	First Steps NHS Nursery EX2 5DW	Outstanding	7 August 2025	105
3	The Ark at Thomas Hall EX4 5AD	Outstanding	15 May 2023	20
4	Littlesaints Preschool EX2 9AF	Outstanding	13 December 2022	16
5	St David's Hill Playgroup EX4 4BP	Outstanding	14 October 2022	24

Day nurseries in Exeter, best rated first

All 44 day nurseries in Exeter
#	Nursery	Ofsted outcome	Inspected	Places
1	Wildlings Forest Kindergarten EX7 0QE	Strong standard in all 6	5 December 2025	16
2	First Steps NHS Nursery EX2 5DW	Outstanding	7 August 2025	105
3	The Ark at Thomas Hall EX4 5AD	Outstanding	15 May 2023	20
4	Littlesaints Preschool EX2 9AF	Outstanding	13 December 2022	16
5	St David's Hill Playgroup EX4 4BP	Outstanding	14 October 2022	24
6	Puffins At Sowton EX2 7LL	Outstanding	30 June 2022	36
7	Stoke Hill Pre-School and Day Nursery EX4 7DS	Outstanding	20 June 2022	28
8	Nanny Bears Childcare EX5 3EE	Outstanding	25 November 2021	10
9	Little Explorers Day Nursery EX5 5EU	Expected standard in 4 of 6	12 March 2026	30
10	Muddy Boots Childcare EX5 5AY	Expected standard in 5 of 6	21 January 2026	20
11	Little Pearls Nursery Limited EX2 5AZ	Good	21 August 2025	77
12	Muddy Boots Pinhoe EX4 8JU	Good	6 August 2025	60
13	Acorns Day Nursery EX2 8HN	Good	9 July 2025	82
14	First Steps Community Playgroup EX4 7DB	Good	25 June 2025	33
15	Whimple Preschool Playgroup EX5 2TS	Good	24 June 2025	24
16	Happy Days Nursery Exeter EX2 7XE	Good	20 June 2025	78
17	Tops Exeter EX4 4PL	Good	11 June 2025	104
18	The Grosvenor Day Nursery Ltd EX1 2HJ	Good	25 March 2025	36
19	Nanny Bears Childcare EX2 5JN	Good	23 January 2025	28
20	Discovery Nursery EX1 2ND	Good	5 December 2024	85
21	Munchkins Day Nursery EX2 4EW	Good	2 December 2024	39
22	Tic Tocs Day Nursery EX4 4DZ	Good	28 November 2024	52
23	The Exwick Ark EX4 2AT	Good	31 October 2024	52
24	Puffins at Manston Terrace EX2 4NP	Good	24 September 2024	58
25	Nanny Bears Childcare EX5 2JU	Good	15 August 2024	43
26	Echoes Childcare Limited EX5 1FY	Good	30 May 2024	60
27	Nanny Bears Childcare Ltd EX5 2QR	Good	21 May 2024	14
28	Spring Cedars EX4 8LD	Good	12 February 2024	46
29	Sara's School EX6 6DZ	Good	31 January 2024	21
30	Little Ones Whipton EX4 8AF	Good	25 January 2024	36
31	Kiddi Caru Nursery EX1 3QS	Good	10 October 2023	132
32	Echoes Childcare EX5 3AS	Good	17 July 2023	96
33	Clyst Valley Pre-School EX5 1BG	Good	7 December 2022	26
34	Puffins Nursery EX1 2PD	Good	27 September 2022	40
35	Little Ones - Budlake EX5 3JW	Good	23 August 2022	29
36	Puffins at Clystheath EX2 7EY	Good	9 August 2022	60
37	Exminster Pre-school EX6 8BG	Good	28 March 2022	45
38	Kiddi Caru Nursery EX2 8LB	Good	20 August 2021	114
39	Adventurers EX4 6HA	Not yet graded	Not yet	66
40	Jurassic Childcare (Exminster) EX6 8AT	Not yet graded	Not yet	48
41	Nanny Bears EX2 5ED	Not yet graded	Not yet	40
42	Nanny Bears The Cottage EX1 2QJ	Not yet graded	Not yet	32
43	Puffins in the City EX1 1BB	Not yet graded	Not yet	54
44	The Nursery at Newbery House EX5 2UL	Not yet graded	Not yet	40

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

Nurseries by postcode in Exeter

Exeter is in Devon.

Nursery fees in Exeter

What day nurseries in South West charge on average. Fees in Exeter itself can sit above or below this.

Average weekly price in term time, South West, Coram Childcare Survey 2026
Child's age	25 hours a week	50 hours a week
Under 2	£181no funded hours	£145after 30 funded hours
2 years old	£165no funded hours	£133after 30 funded hours
3 to 4 years old	£61after the free 15 hours	£122after 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 Exeter

The free hours follow national rules, so they are the same in Exeter 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.