There are different types of childcare provision to choose from for children 0 to 5 years old.
College Nurseries
Queens' College Nursery
The College has a nursery situated at Owlstone Croft in Newnham, with up to 25 places for children from 3 months to school age. The Nursery is open all year round, from Monday to Friday, from 0830 – 1700, excluding bank holidays when the Nursery is closed. Priority is given to children of Fellows, students and staff, but early application is essential as places are limited and there is usually a waiting list. For further information, please contact the Nursery Manager Amanda Smith on 01223 335623 or email qcdn@wigwamnurseries.co.uk
The Mrs Cameron Day Nursery (Gonville and Caius College)
Gonville and Caius has a nursery based near Harvey Court, Sidgwick Avenue site, with up to 25 places for children from 3 months to school age. Known as the Mrs Cameron Day Nursery, the facility is open 8.30am–5pm, Mon–Fri. Gonville and Caius staff, students and Fellows are given priority for places but any remaining vacancies are open to others. For more information, contact nursery owner Mrs Elizabeth Wiggam or Nursery Manager Nicola Finlayson on 01223 740688 or email Gonville and Caius College Nursery.
The Wolfson Court Nursery
Girton, Churchill, St John's and Trinity Colleges are connected to the Wolfson Court nursery, which opened in January 2005 on Clarkson Road, off Grange Road. Wolfson Court has up to 76 places for children from 3 months to school age and is open from 7.30am–6pm throughout the year. The nursery is run by Bright Horizons, who operate a number of other private nurseries in the region. Priority places are available to staff, students and Fellows of Girton, Churchill, St John's and Trinity Colleges but the nursery is also open to others, including the general public. For more information and an application form, contact the nursery on 01223 656318 or email parentenquiry@brighthorizons.com. Alternatively, contact the individual Colleges or Bright Horizons on 0845 365 2929.
Childminders
Childminders look after children in their own home, whilst the children's parents are at work or studying. They could look after babies and children under five during the day, or older children after school and in the school holidays. Always ensure that the Childminder is OFSTED registered. You can check a childminder's status and most recent inspection report by going to the OFSTED webpages and searching by their URN or name.
To find childminders in your area, use the Cambridgeshire County Council's Online Directory: Childcare.
Day Nurseries
Run by private individuals, community groups, commercial businesses, Montessori organisations or by employers; day nurseries generally care for children from 3 months (sometimes 6 weeks) to school-age and offer care from around 8:00 to 18:00 for most of the year. Most offer a choice of morning, afternoon or full day sessions and some nurseries provide out of school childcare facilities for school-age children. Costs vary depending on the age of your child (babies generally cost more because facilities need a higher staff: child ratio in line with Ofsted regulations).
Information on the University Workplace Nurseries.
To find nurseries in your area, use the Cambridgeshire County Council's Family Information Directory: Childcare.
Local Authority Nursery Schools and Classes
These facilities are run by the Local Authority and may be either nursery classes attached to primary schools or separate, self-contained nursery schools. Places are funded through the Early Years Funding scheme. Children can start an LA nursery from the beginning of the school term after their 3rd birthday. However, this depends on vacancies: there is no automatic right of admission and children living in the nursery catchment area will have priority for places.
LA nurseries operate during state school terms. There are often waiting lists in operation. If you are interested in sending your child to an LA nursery you should contact individual nurseries directly.
There are five self-contained LA nursery schools in the Cambridge area. These are:
- Brunswick Nursery School
- Colleges Nursery and Family Centre
- Histon Early Years Centre
- Homerton Nursery School
- The Fields Early Years Centre
For a list of primary schools with nursery classes, go to the Cambridgeshire County Council's Schools and Colleges homepage.
Private Nursery Schools
There are also private, fee-paying nursery schools in Cambridge which take children from the age of 2 or 3 years until they start school. They may offer a particular educational approach, e.g. Steiner or Montessori. Some operate during state school terms only; others are open for most of the year. Most operate for the state school day from approximately 9am–3.30pm. For an extra cost, they may run early and late clubs around their regular hours. 3 and 4 year olds should qualify for free part-time sessions through the Early Years Funding scheme.
For details of private nursery schools in Cambridge, use the Cambridgeshire County Council's Family Information Directory: Childcare.
Nannies
Nannies work in your own home and do not have to be registered with Ofsted. However, see the Ofsted Registration and Inspection section for information on the voluntary part of the Ofsted Childcare Register that nannies can opt to join.
Like childminders, nannies may be able to provide more flexible and personal care for your child. They may be live-in or live-out (daily) nannies. It's possible for families that require part-time care to take part in a nanny-share with other families, which can ease the considerable costs. You can find other families looking for nanny shares through the University's parent e-newsletters or try the service www.nannyshare.co.uk.
Nannies are employed by the family, who will be responsible for sorting out terms and conditions of employment, tax and national insurance. There are specialist agencies that will help with all aspects of employing a Nanny. Costs are high and can depend on the nanny's age, experience and hours worked, but if you have more than one young child it can work out cheaper than sending your children to a day nursery.
Childcare for school-aged children
Out of School Childcare and Holiday Playschemes
- Out-of-school or after-school childcare providers care for children of school-age outside normal school hours.
- Playscheme and holiday clubs provide care all day during the school holidays and the facility is often based in a local school. For more information about the University of Cambridge Holiday Playscheme please go the Playscheme webpages.