- UK Nursery Search
- Nurseries in England
- Nurseries in East of England
- Nurseries in Cambridgeshire
- Nurseries in Cambridge Area
- Nurseries in Cambridge
- University Nursery at West Cambridge

Not only did the nursery meet all our expectations but, in many areas, they exceeded themZaki H(Father of Child)

I can see the difference when she comes home! The practitioners are so kind and attentiveBeth P(Mother of Child)

The University of West Cambridge Nursery is truly the best you could ever ask forMahendrini A(Mother of Child)

Not only did the nursery meet all our expectations but, in many areas, they exceeded themZaki H(Father of Child)

I can see the difference when she comes home! The practitioners are so kind and attentiveBeth P(Mother of Child)

The University of West Cambridge Nursery is truly the best you could ever ask forMahendrini A(Mother of Child)

University at West Cambridge is a purpose built nursery situated on the West Cambridge campus of Cambridge University.
A friendly and enthusiastic staff team works closely with the children to provide continuity between nursery and life at home. Professionals believe parent partnership is important to allow key people to support each child and their families as individuals.
The nursery offers childcare for employees of the University of Cambridge but also...
University at West Cambridge is a purpose built nursery situated on the West Cambridge campus of Cambridge University.
A friendly and enthusiastic staff team works closely with the children to provide continuity between nursery and life at home. Professionals believe parent partnership is important to allow key people to support each child and their families as individuals.
The nursery offers childcare for employees of the University of Cambridge but also have a restricted amount of spots for local families who do not work or study at the university.
Each age group has its own designated garden directly outside its playroom, enabling all children to access a secure outdoor environment at any time of the day. The nursery has also obtained their Green Flag Eco-Schools Award.
In each of the five age groups, the children explore in light, airy and spacious rooms which provide them with the opportunity to grow and develop through a stimulating and sociable environment.
Type of Service
- Day Nursery
Opening Schedule
Open all yearAttendance patterns offered
All Year
Minimum attendance
- 1 day per week
Full days available
YesGroup / Owner
- Childbase Partnership
- Private Owned
Person in charge
- Lesa Clare (Manager)
Number of Childcare Staff
- 64
Total Places for Children
- 120
Age Range
- from 0 years 3 months
- to 5 years 0 months
Meals Provided
YesMeal Types Provided
Breakfast, Dinner / Tea, Lunch, Snacks
Consumables provided
YesConsumables provided include
Nappies, Nappy Cream, Suncream, Wipes
Opening Times
- Monday08:00-18:00
- Tuesday08:00-18:00
- Wednesday08:00-18:00
- Thursday08:00-18:00
- Friday08:00-18:00
When Closed
- Bank Holidays (excluding May Bank Holidays)
Parking
- Parking is on a shared car park pass.
Funding & Fees
Typical monthly cost for a 3-days place
£479/ month
Non funded session
Non funded session
Full day 08.00 - 18.00 (nil funding) £106.
Funded only session
Full day 08.00 - 18.00 (10hrs funding) £0.
Optional consumable fees associated to funded sessions
Full day food £9
Full day non-food consumables £1.20
Full day extra-curricular activities £1.20
Hourly rate £10.60
Calculated from data given to us by this nursery. Your final quote may vary slightly.
Averaged monthly figure. Actual billing varies; some nurseries bill weekly or by use.Defaults shown
9 months to 2 years • 3-days • 30 hours funding • all year
How this price scales (per month)
1 day per week
£65
3 days per week
£479
5 days per week
£1,269
Adjust for your situation
What this price covers
- Standard chargeable day 8:00am to 6:00pm (10 hours)
- 22.8 funded hours used per week. Remaining hours charged privately.
- Included in this price: Breakfast, Dinner / Tea, Lunch, Snacks, Nappies, Nappy Cream, Suncream and Wipes
Price without government funding: £1,378 / month (£106 / day)
If you're not eligible or haven't claimed funded hours.More info
- £899/month more than the funded price.
- This is what you'd pay if your child is under 9 months, or if you're not eligible for or haven't claimed funded hours.
About this price
How funding is applied, how the monthly figure is calculated.More info
- Working parents of children aged 9 months to 2 years can usually claim up to 30 funded hours a week. The working-parent hours depend on each parent meeting the minimum earnings rules and earning under £100,000 a year. This nursery stretches funded hours across 50 weeks of the year. You've selected 30 funded hours.
- This nursery applies up to 10 funded hours per day, stretched across 50 weeks of the year. With your selected funding, 22.8 hours are covered each week. Hours beyond this, including the early and late parts of the day, are charged at the standard rate.
- We work out the total cost across the year and divide by 12, so the figure shown is a smoothed monthly average. In practice, nurseries bill in different ways. Some bill monthly at this average. Others bill weekly, or charge for what happened that week or month, which can vary across the year. Confirm billing details with the nursery when you enquire.
Contact University Nursery at West Cambridge to get a personalised quote:
University Nursery at West Cambridge Reviews (158)
University Nursery at West Cambridge has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.905) out of 10, based on 29 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time University Nursery at West Cambridge has 158 reviews.
We have always had such a welcoming and happy experience at West Cambridge University Nursery. The staff are always so friendly and helpful, making the start of my daughter's learning experience positive. The rooms are always so well presented and inviting, along with a range of learning tools that...
We have always had such a welcoming and happy experience at West Cambridge University Nursery. The staff are always so friendly and helpful, making the start of my daughter's learning experience positive. The rooms are always so well presented and inviting, along with a range of learning tools that my daughter always loves exploring. The nursery always keeps in good contact with me about upcoming events and celebrations, as well as how my child's day and development is.
Excellent in every respect. We were thrilled when we gained a place for our son and he has loved being at the nursery and through all four rooms. Being there with the other children has greatly helped his learning, social confidence, and language development. My wife and I have complete confidence...
Excellent in every respect. We were thrilled when we gained a place for our son and he has loved being at the nursery and through all four rooms. Being there with the other children has greatly helped his learning, social confidence, and language development. My wife and I have complete confidence that the outstanding practitioners will do the best for him at all times.
My daughter has been well taken care of during the past year in pre-school. I can see the tremendous progress she has made in different aspects of her learning journey, including but not limited to meaningful conversation, expression of emotions, personal confidence, developing relationships,...
My daughter has been well taken care of during the past year in pre-school. I can see the tremendous progress she has made in different aspects of her learning journey, including but not limited to meaningful conversation, expression of emotions, personal confidence, developing relationships, awareness of her social environment, and curiosity to learn. Thanks to all the practitioners and manager for this feat.
The University Nursery at West Cambridge is excellent. The entire team is exceptional, highly knowledgeable, kind and child-centred. My boy absolutely loves the nursery, so do we.
The University Nursery at West Cambridge is excellent. The entire team is exceptional, highly knowledgeable, kind and child-centred. My boy absolutely loves the nursery, so do we.
The university nursery at West Cambridge is exceptional. All the staff are absolutely fantastic and very supportive. I have seen my daughter developing confidence and other important skills. She now has a very strong foundation that certainly will help her journey at school.
The university nursery at West Cambridge is exceptional. All the staff are absolutely fantastic and very supportive. I have seen my daughter developing confidence and other important skills. She now has a very strong foundation that certainly will help her journey at school.
What I like about the West Cambridge Nursery is their open-door policy, if I have any issues or concerns I can approach a senior staff member and discuss anything that’s maybe worrying me. By being approachable and discussing things together we have been able to identify the problem, action and...
What I like about the West Cambridge Nursery is their open-door policy, if I have any issues or concerns I can approach a senior staff member and discuss anything that’s maybe worrying me. By being approachable and discussing things together we have been able to identify the problem, action and implement a plan in the nursery setting with staffs help and support. By working closely with the staff and by making small changes we have seen a massive change in our daughter in the last two weeks. She is very content and she is has been glowing when I collect her in the afternoon. This indicates that she has had an amazing day, eaten well, napped and joined in various activities throughout the day. We appreciate the staff taking the time and energy to truly understand a child. Seeing her happy makes us happy while we are at work.
We have sent both of our daughters to University Nursery at West Cambridge and they both love it. The staff are very friendly and show an obvious love for the children. Our children have developed well and are very happy.
We have sent both of our daughters to University Nursery at West Cambridge and they both love it. The staff are very friendly and show an obvious love for the children. Our children have developed well and are very happy.
The staff at University Nursery at West Cambridge are always friendly and polite. My daughter really enjoys her days at nursery and always returns home happy. My daughter really enjoys the activities set up each day and has learned a lot from the activities and staff. The menu caters perfectly for...
The staff at University Nursery at West Cambridge are always friendly and polite. My daughter really enjoys her days at nursery and always returns home happy. My daughter really enjoys the activities set up each day and has learned a lot from the activities and staff. The menu caters perfectly for my daughter's dietary needs and she seems to enjoy the range of different meals and snacks. My daughters favourite part of nursery is the outdoor space. The staff offer informative feedback every evening when I pick up on how my child's day has been and what she has been up to.
Wonderful nursery. Staff are very attentive, professional and kind. They serve great food and do wonderful activities. Their communication during lockdown was always on point, and I felt they took great care of their families, even when they were not in the nursery.
Wonderful nursery. Staff are very attentive, professional and kind. They serve great food and do wonderful activities. Their communication during lockdown was always on point, and I felt they took great care of their families, even when they were not in the nursery.
The University Nursery at West Cambridge is excellent. The team is exceptional - child-centred, brilliantly collaborative with parents, nurturing, stimulating and well-led. Everything the staff do “oozes” excellent care, and there is a strong, positive and welcoming culture across all staff groups,...
The University Nursery at West Cambridge is excellent. The team is exceptional - child-centred, brilliantly collaborative with parents, nurturing, stimulating and well-led. Everything the staff do “oozes” excellent care, and there is a strong, positive and welcoming culture across all staff groups, from management to the practitioners. They made our transition from parental leave very easy with their confidence and reassurance. We are very happy our child is able to benefit from the time spent at the nursery.
Our daughter started two weeks ago. We were quite stressed at the beginning as she is 2 years and 2months old and it was the first time leaving our house and spending the day with new people without us around. Two weeks later and the smile on her face every time we pick her up says it all! She is a...
Plenty of activities and amazing staff! Special shout out to the best key person we could ever ask for! Always patient with a smile and made this transition so much easier for our little one! Very professional and always happy to answer any of our questions!
Definitely recommend it!
Our daughter loves her nursery and care workers, and we do too. They provide a caring, interactive and exciting environment for her, and provide us with updates, safety information and ideas to follow things up at home. Her social, motor and language skills have developed rapidly since attending...
Our daughter loves her nursery and care workers, and we do too. They provide a caring, interactive and exciting environment for her, and provide us with updates, safety information and ideas to follow things up at home. Her social, motor and language skills have developed rapidly since attending (she has been there a year) and the food provided is nutritious and varied (and she eats better at nursery than home!). The staff are such high quality, and we couldn't be more pleased that she is there. Thoroughly recommended.
I literally cannot rate this nursery highly enough. I have been a parent at West Cambridge for 4 years. The exceptional standard and stability of care, service, professionalism, fun, and supported learning has been outstanding. This includes across 4 years, two very different children, all staff,...
I literally cannot rate this nursery highly enough. I have been a parent at West Cambridge for 4 years. The exceptional standard and stability of care, service, professionalism, fun, and supported learning has been outstanding. This includes across 4 years, two very different children, all staff, and various periods of change and disruption at home, nursery and in the world around us. West Cambridge has been our constant. This includes the support, can-do attitude and care we and our son received following his serious illness and surgery last year which involved a period of special needs and medical treatment.
We are very thankful for the dedication, professionalism and approachability of the team. The nursery has a family feel which we really...
We are very thankful for the dedication, professionalism and approachability of the team. The nursery has a family feel which we really enjoy and appreciate. Our daughter has flourished with all the support and tailored activities she’s presented with, where she has an opportunity to learn, enjoy and challenge herself as she plays with her carers and classmates.
As well as the dedication in the classroom, we were very impressed with the support we received during the lockdown and all the reading material and activity ideas that were shared. Also, the transition back into the nursery has been fantastic.
We would definitely recommend this nursery to friends and family!
Today is the last day of almost six years in which we have had children full-time at West Cambridge Nursery. From the day that we came for a visit (then still expecting) until the last day, staff have been most welcoming. Management has shown a remarkable interest in the children (even the manager...
Today is the last day of almost six years in which we have had children full-time at West Cambridge Nursery. From the day that we came for a visit (then still expecting) until the last day, staff have been most welcoming. Management has shown a remarkable interest in the children (even the manager knows every child by name and their parents), attention to parents' wishes and commitment to staff's growth. For us, the nursery was truly home away from home. After day one, we realised we did not have to feel guilty about sending our children full-time to the nursery: they were offered activities and a peer group we could never give them at home. We were impressed by the nursery's implementation of a healthy-food programme: no more sugar, more vegetables. Whilst we love cooking at home, the youngest continues to say that "nursery food is best". The nursery's encouragement to play a lot outside has made our boys stronger and more self-confident. I give it my strongest possible recommendation.
Our daughter started about a year ago in the preschool room and we have been very happy with all aspects of her care.
Our daughter started about a year ago in the preschool room and we have been very happy with all aspects of her care.
My daughter has been attending West Cambridge nursery since January 2020. She has flourished during her time there and has a great rapport with all the staff members. The staff have been really eager to get to know her and have tremendously helped in her social, intellectual and physical...
My daughter has been attending West Cambridge nursery since January 2020. She has flourished during her time there and has a great rapport with all the staff members. The staff have been really eager to get to know her and have tremendously helped in her social, intellectual and physical development. My daughter started crawling within a month of starting at the nursery. Her physical development had been a bit behind but she started to learn to walk in the nursery and took her first steps there. They were extremely encouraging and actively promoted children's welfare and intellectual growth. She has been engaged in creative and sensory play to reading and mark making. Her word count has expanded exponentially and continues to grow. They have helped her to bond with the other children and she recalls the names of her friends and keyworker. Everyone from management to classroom staff knows my daughter and enjoy interacting with her. She loves her time at the nursery.
The communication between...
The communication between the nursery and the parents was excellent. Every day we were briefed about what our child did and ate when we picked her up after work. Weekly newsletters were sent to parents to forecast the food menus and activities in the coming week. Pictures of children and reports, evaluations, and observations about their growth and intellectual development are shared with parents via an app/website.
My daughter developed a strong bonding with her three key workers and often imitated their behaviours at home. We could tell her key workers were excellent role models to her. She learned to help with household chores, to share things with others, and to care about others.
We placed our daughter in nursery at around 18 months, and can not have been more pleased with her growth and development. The staff are fantastic, professional, and provide wonderful care and nutriment. The front desk staff are always welcoming and 'know' who our daughter is, the class, and any...
We placed our daughter in nursery at around 18 months, and can not have been more pleased with her growth and development. The staff are fantastic, professional, and provide wonderful care and nutriment. The front desk staff are always welcoming and 'know' who our daughter is, the class, and any issues that we should be aware of (e.g. how her day was, any virus going around, and any upcoming events to be aware of). The 'room' staff are a fantastic mix of individuals who each contribute to make a safe, nurturing environment to which our daughter feels comfortable to learn and grow. Most importantly we feel that her room staff really know our daughter, what she likes, doesn't, and which children and activities she likes to engage in/with most. We feel very fortunate to have our daughter at this nursery.
A wonderful nursery that is very well-organized, loving, and efficient. Our girls have been attending it for a few months (minus lockdown weeks), and we have all been very satisfied with both the high level of care and the efficient management. The facility itself is very well kept, clean, and...
A wonderful nursery that is very well-organized, loving, and efficient. Our girls have been attending it for a few months (minus lockdown weeks), and we have all been very satisfied with both the high level of care and the efficient management. The facility itself is very well kept, clean, and provides easy access for the kids to go to the bathroom or play outside. The caregivers we had the opportunity to meet are truly wonderful; our girls talk about them fondly at home and are always happy to go to nursery in the morning. Communication with the parents is done primarily through the app/website, though they are always easily accessible by phone for immediate things. The nursery also implemented new safety measures due to COVID-19 that seem to have been working well so far.
Child Vacancies
Please contact us for latest vacancies.
News (7) & Events (0)
- 31 Jul 2025
There was cause for celebration at West Cambridge Day Nursery in Cambridge as proud practitioners and parents learnt that the setting had achieved an ‘Outstanding’ judgement from Ofsted for the...
- 27 May 2025
Childbase Partnership has been awarded a coveted ‘Top 10’ position in the prestigious Sunday Times Best Places to Work List 2025, ranking the company amongst the best employers in the...
- 03 Mar 2025
Childbase Partnership has topped the league tables for the second year running, maintaining the No.1 spot for the quality of Early Years care and education throughout its 44 day nurseries....
There are no upcoming events for University Nursery at West Cambridge.
Awards / Recognitions (22)
- 31 Mar 2026Recipient: Childbase Partnership
- 31 Mar 2025Recipient: Childbase Partnership
- 28 Mar 2024Recipient: Childbase Partnership
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for University Nursery at West Cambridge.
Meet the Team (1)

Lesa is the Manager of West Cambridge Day Nursery in Cambridge and has a wealth of experience, having worked in the early years sector for 21 years....
Lesa is the Manager of West Cambridge Day Nursery in Cambridge and has a wealth of experience, having worked in the early years sector for 21 years. Lesa has several qualifications, including an NVQ Level 3 Early Years Care and Education and has been with Childbase Partnership for 12 years.
What is your favourite feature of West Cambridge?I love the family environment at the nursery, the warm and welcoming staff and the outstanding practice delivered throughout all of our rooms.
What are you most proud of about your nursery/team?Being recognised as a top 20 rated nursery in East of England from DayNurseries parent reviews.
Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact University Nursery at West Cambridge to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. University Nursery at West Cambridge has an Enhanced Service -what an Enhanced Service includes.