how much is nursery per day uk​

There is no single number that answers how much is nursery per day UK wide, because prices shift by region, your child's age, and how many hours count as a "day" at your chosen setting. What follows is a clear picture of where the averages sit right now, what pushes the price up or down, and how funded hours change the maths.

Why Nursery Prices Are Usually Quoted Weekly, Not Daily

Most nurseries price their fees per session or per week rather than per day, which is part of why a clear daily figure is hard to pin down. A "day" at one setting might mean five hours, while at another it means ten or eleven. To get a genuine day rate, you generally need to take the weekly fee and divide it by the number of days your child attends.

According to the Coram Family and Childcare Survey 2026, families in England who do not qualify for funded hours pay an average of £189 a week for a part time, 25 hour nursery place for a child under two. Spread across five mornings, that works out to roughly £38 a day for a five hour session. Stretch the same weekly figure across a full ten hour day and the daily rate for a full day nursery place lands closer to £70 to £75 in many parts of the country.

Average Nursery Costs Across the UK

Costs vary a fair amount by nation and by age group. Here is what the most recent national survey data shows:

• England, part time (25 hours) for a child under two, no funding: around £189 a week.
• Scotland, part time (25 hours) for a child under two: around £133 a week.
• Wales, part time (25 hours) for a child under two: around £166 a week.
• England, full time (50 hours) for eligible families using funded hours: costs have fallen by around 39 percent compared with the previous year, thanks to the expansion of funded childcare hours.
• Three and four year olds, full time nursery, across Great Britain: fees rose by roughly 5 to 9 percent depending on the nation.

Under twos are consistently the most expensive age group to place in nursery, largely because of the higher staff to child ratios required for babies and young toddlers.

What Changes the Daily Rate at Your Local Nursery

A handful of factors explain why one nursery down the road can charge noticeably more or less than another:

1. Your child's age. Baby rooms cost more per hour than rooms for three and four year olds, since fewer children are allowed per staff member.
2. Location. Nurseries in London and the South East typically charge more per day than those in the North West or North East.
3. Session length. A short morning session priced per hour will look cheaper on paper than a full ten or eleven hour day, even at the same hourly rate.
4. Meals and extras. Some settings include meals, nappies, and outings in the daily fee. Others bill these separately, which changes the real cost of a day.
5. Funded hours. Government funded childcare hours can reduce or, for many under twos, effectively remove the cost of part time care during term time for eligible working families.

How Funded Hours Affect the Real Daily Cost

From September 2025, eligible working parents in England can claim up to 30 hours a week of funded childcare from when their child is nine months old. For a family using the full entitlement, a part time place can be close to free during term time, while a full time place is billed only for the hours beyond the funded allowance.

This means two families using the exact same nursery, on the exact same days, can pay very different daily rates depending on whether they qualify for funded hours and how they choose to spread them. Funded hours run for 38 weeks a year, so families who need care through school holidays should budget for those weeks separately, since the funding does not stretch across the full calendar year without careful planning.

A Simple Way to Work Out Your Own Daily Cost

Rather than relying on a national average, it helps to do a short calculation with your own local nursery's fees:

1. Ask for the weekly fee for your child's age group and the number of days you need.
2. Divide the weekly fee by the number of days to get a rough per day figure.
3. Ask whether meals, nappies, and extras are included or billed separately.
4. Check whether you are eligible for funded hours on the Childcare Choices website, and ask the nursery how they apply funded hours against your bill.
5. Compare the final number, not just the headline hourly rate, since two nurseries with similar hourly prices can end up costing quite differently once extras are added.

How Nursery Compares to Other Childcare Options

Nursery is not the only route to sorting daytime childcare, and the daily cost against other options is worth knowing before you commit:

• Childminders are often a little cheaper per hour than nursery for children aged three and four, and can offer more flexible daily hours, though this varies a great deal by area.
• Nannies usually cost more overall, especially for one child, since you are paying for one to one care rather than a shared staff ratio.
• Nursery tends to sit in the middle for most age groups, and often becomes the more affordable option once a family has more than one child needing care, since some settings offer sibling discounts.

None of these figures replace an actual quote. Ask each provider you are considering for their real weekly fee, in writing, before making a decision.

What This Looks Like at Little Mowgli Nursery

At Little Mowgli Nursery in Leyland, fees are set to be genuinely competitive with other local settings, and the team is happy to talk parents through exactly what a day, or a set number of days, will cost once funded hours are taken into account. The nursery cares for children from six weeks to five years old across its Tigers and Giraffes rooms, and staff can walk you through funded hours eligibility as part of the enquiry process rather than leaving parents to work it out alone.

If you want an accurate daily figure rather than a national average, the quickest way is to contact Little Mowgli Nursery directly with your child's age and the days you need. That gives you a real number to work with, rather than a rough guide based on regional averages.

Final Thought

National averages give a useful starting point, but the honest answer to how much nursery costs per day in the UK depends on where you live, your child's age, and whether funded hours apply to your family. Ask your local nurseries for their actual weekly fee, work out the daily rate yourself, and check your funded hours eligibility before comparing prices.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does nursery school cost per day in the UK on average? 

A full day nursery place for a child under two typically costs between £70 and £80 a day in England without funded hours, though this varies by region. Older children in the three to four age group are usually cheaper per day.

Is nursery cheaper with funded hours? 

Yes, often by a wide margin. Eligible working parents in England can access up to 30 funded hours a week from when their child is nine months old, which can make part time care close to free during term time.

Why do nursery fees vary so much between settings? 

Location, staff ratios, session length, and whether meals and extras are included all affect the final price. Two nurseries charging similar hourly rates can still work out quite differently once extras are added.

Do funded hours cover the full nursery day? 

Not usually for a full time place. Funded hours cover a set number of hours a week during term time, so many working families pay for extra hours beyond their entitlement, particularly outside the 38 week funded term.

How do I find out my child's actual daily fee? 

Contact your local nursery directly with your child's age and the days you need. They can give you an accurate weekly or daily figure and explain how any funded hours you are eligible for will apply to your bill.

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