Find childcare and schools

Looking for childcare in Doncaster?

What are my childcare options?

Families use childcare for many reasons - to help you work, look for jobs, train or study or just take time out, and to help your child’s development. Childcare can offer many positive benefits for your entire family.

Registered Childcare Providers include:

• Childminders
  Childminders are self-employed childcare providers who will look after your child in their own home. Childminders are registered with Ofsted, and are inspected by Ofsted at least once in every four year inspection cycle. They may offer full day care or childcare before or after school or during school holidays.

• Day Nurseries 
  Day Nurseries look after and educate children from birth to age 5. There are different types of nurseries, including private, community, local authority and workplace nurseries. All nurseries should be registered and inspected by Ofsted. All nurseries have a designated Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) to co-ordinate provision for children with special needs.

• Sessional Care
  Sessional Care provision provides play and education sessions lasting about three hours for children aged 2–5.

• Breakfast Clubs and After School Clubs
  Out-of-school services and kids’ clubs generally provide care for children aged between 4 and 14-years old, but you should check with each individual setting to see if they have their own age limits. These programmes normally run during term time and can offer care around the school day.

• Holiday Playschemes 
  Holiday clubs offer similar services to out-of-school clubs, but run during the school holidays. Some can offer a full-day place, but some only operate on a part-time basis and will only be able to offer children care for the morning or afternoon.

Unregistered Childcare Providers include:

• School Based Childcare
  Such as breakfast clubs, after school clubs and holiday activities offered by Schools to their pupils. These facilities can also be searched by using the Childcare and Schools search facility above.

If you would prefer to have the providers available in your area sent via email / post please email Families Information Service: fis@doncaster.gov.uk or ring Freephone: 0800 138 4568 (operates Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, outside of these hours there is an answer phone service).

Questions to ask childcare providers

It's always a good idea to take a list of questions (the Family and Childcare Trust have helpful information available) to ask childcare providers and also have a look at a copy of their most recent Ofsted inspection.

Searching for schools in Doncaster?

The Schools Directory contains the contact details for all Doncaster schools, children's services and school support services. 

The directory is updated twice a year as part of the sufficiency of childcare and schools places audit.

You can also find detailed information about schools in Doncaster including contact information, Ofsted results and map/location details.

Schools information

* all have nursery classes

** 51 of these have a nursery class. Primary schools have children of both infant and junior school age.

Schools are organised in a pyramid system and serve areas of the borough, normally referred to as a 'catchment area'.

• Community Schools are maintained by the Local Authority. The Council sets the admissions policy and allocate places in accordance with various criteria. 
• Aided schools are also denominational (Church of England or Roman Catholic). However admission to these schools is controlled by the Governing Body and not the Local Authority. 
• Special Schools are maintained by the Local Authority. Admission to these schools is determined by a Statement of Special Educational Needs. 
• Foundation Schools and Academies are funded directly by the Department for Education and admission to these schools is controlled by the Governing Body and not the Local Authority.

No school maintained by the Local Authority admits children on the basis of selection by ability or aptitude. The Local Authority has no arrangements for admitting children to non-maintained or private schools other than children with special educational needs.

School prospectuses are available free of charge from the school or local libraries.