Nurseries in Penrith

Yes. Eligible working parents in Penrith can receive up to 30 funded hours a week from the term after their child turns 9 months until they start school. The full entitlement equals 1,140 hours across 38 weeks, although participating nurseries can spread fewer hours across more weeks of the year.

For 2026–27, Westmorland and Furness set provider rates of £10.43 an hour for children under 2, £7.64 for 2-year-olds and £5.78 for 3- and 4-year-olds. Early Years Pupil Premium also increased to £1.15 per eligible hour. These are payments to childcare providers rather than private nursery fees charged to parents.

Yes. Eligible 2-year-olds receiving additional support can receive up to 570 funded hours a year, normally taken as 15 hours a week for 38 weeks. Providers can offer fewer weekly hours across more weeks where they operate a stretched arrangement.

Yes. Every 3- and 4-year-old can receive up to 15 funded hours a week from the term after their third birthday. Children born January to March become eligible in April, April to August in September, and September to December in January.

Penrith nurseries can apply for Early Years SEND Inclusion Funding (SENIF) where a child needs support beyond the setting's normal provision. Funding is linked to the individual setting, so if a child attends two nurseries, each provider must apply separately. If the child moves nursery, the new setting has to submit a new application.

For the 2026–27 year, Westmorland and Furness lists application deadlines of 11 September and 23 October 2026 for autumn funding, 5 February 2027 for spring funding, and 16 April and 4 June 2027 for summer funding. Applications arriving after a deadline move to the following funding panel.

The 2026–27 Disability Access Fund is £975 per eligible child per year. It supports early-years settings making reasonable adjustments for children receiving Disability Living Allowance who also use funded early education.

Yes. Penrith Best Start Family Hub operates in the town as part of Westmorland and Furness Council's official Family Hub network. It supports families with pregnancy, early years, parenting, health, development and SEND-related needs. In April 2026, the council also opened a dedicated sensory room at the Penrith hub for babies and children.

As of September 2026, the Penrith Family Hub programme includes twice-weekly Stay and Play sessions, Baby Explorers, infant massage and infant-feeding support. These are council-backed early-years activities rather than private childcare services.

CA11 is the main postcode district for Penrith. Official council records show Penrith East and North in CA11 7, Carleton and Pategill mainly in CA11 8, and Castletown in CA11 9. ToddleKids can therefore be used to compare childcare across the specific part of Penrith that best fits a family's home or daily journey.

Penrith is split into Penrith North and Penrith South council wards. Penrith South includes Carleton, Pategill, Castletown and western parts of the town, while Penrith North includes the town centre, Penrith East and northern areas. Comparing both wards can give parents more practical nursery choices than restricting a search to central Penrith alone.