Early years providers

You have lots of different options to choose from if you want early years education for your child.

Family Hubs

Family Hubs work with children aged five and under. They are open all year round and offer early years care, education family support and health services.

Find out more about Family Hubs 

Primary schools

These are only open during term time. In Hull we have 56 nursery classes within primary schools. Staff in these schools are all qualified teachers and assistants.

Private nurseries

These are open all year round and can look after children aged five and under for an entire day or a session. Private nurseries have staff with early years and childcare qualifications. The number of staff to children will depend on their age. Private nurseries that get funding from Hull City Council offer free early years places.

We try to make sure private nurseries offer the best care and education possible by encouraging them to achieve a quality assurance accreditation. Ofsted also inspect private nurseries.

Playgroups and preschools

These are often based in community buildings like church halls and look after children aged between two and five during term-time. They are often run by qualified staff and volunteers or parents. Sessions can run on mornings or afternoons, but some groups have lunchtime sessions as well. In Hull we have 23 playgroups and pre-schools - all of these are inspected by Ofsted.

Childminders

There are nine childminders in Hull who are registered to offer free early years places, and Hull has 218 childminders in total. They are self-employed and usually look after children in their own home or in your home. Childminders can take children from birth onwards. Many childminders will drop off and pick up children from their school.

Most childminders in Hull have childcare qualifications. They are also inspected by Ofsted.

Find out more about childcare

Find out more about Ofsted

Parent and toddler groups

These tend to be run by parent volunteers and are informal groups where parents and their children, aged five and under can meet with other local families. These groups allow children and families to play together. They are often run in community buildings.