Nurseries in Barking and Dagenham
Barking and Dagenham is an increasingly popular family borough in East London, offering a mix of new housing developments, established residential areas and expanding early years provision. Postcodes such as IG11, RM8, RM9 and RM10 cover neighbourhoods from Barking town centre and the Roding Riverside area to Dagenham Heathway, Becontree and Rush Green. With many young families and commuters, demand for childcare is consistently strong across the borough. Barking and Dagenham benefits from excellent transport links including the District line, Overground to central London, C2C rail services, bus routes and easy road access to the A13 and North Circular. Families enjoy access to parks, nature reserves, local shopping areas, libraries and children’s centres. Its mix of new-build homes, traditional terraces and family-focused communities makes the borough a practical and well-connected area for parents seeking reliable nursery and early years options close to central and East London.
Parents in Barking and Dagenham typically pay £102 per day for childcare, which is significantly 36% higher than the UK average.
- Average Daily Cost
- £102
- Comparison
- +36% vs UK Average
- Total Capacity
- 2,589 places
Nurseries near you in Barking and Dagenham
Frequently Asked Questions
In Barking and Dagenham, children can usually start private nursery or day care from around 3 months old, depending on the provider and availability. Some settings offer baby rooms from birth. Government-funded early education in England generally begins the term after your child’s 3rd birthday, but younger children may also qualify for funded hours if you meet certain criteria or are an eligible working parent.
In England, all 3 and 4-year-olds can receive 15 hours of funded early education per week during term time, with many working families eligible for up to 30 hours. There is also funded support for some 2-year-olds based on household circumstances, and entitlement for working parents of children from 9 months old to receive 30 hours per week for eligible families. The exact offer and start dates depend on your child’s age, your work status and when their birthday falls in the school year. Families can also benefit from Tax-Free Childcare if both working parents earn less than £100k per year. For every £8 a parent pays into their online childcare account, the government adds an extra £2 up to a maximum of £2,000 per child per year.
For children under 9 months, families in Barking and Dagenham usually pay privately for most or all of their childcare hours. Fees vary across the borough, but many private nurseries charge between **£65–£115 per day**, depending on the setting, age range, meals, session length and any extras such as activities or extended hours. For older children, funded hours can reduce the cost, but parents may still pay for meals or additional hours beyond the core funded entitlement.
All nurseries and most childcare providers in Barking and Dagenham are regulated and inspected by **Ofsted**. Funding, quality standards and local early years policy are overseen by **Barking and Dagenham Council**, which manages the borough’s funded childcare arrangements.
When visiting nurseries in Barking and Dagenham, ask about staff-child ratios, staff qualifications and turnover, daily routines, outdoor space, sleep and feeding arrangements, how they apply funded hours, and whether additional charges apply. It is also helpful to ask about communication with parents, settling-in processes, opening hours for commuting families and whether they support Tax-Free Childcare or workplace salary sacrifice schemes.
Applying for funding
Barking and Dagenham is covered by Barking and Dagenham, the local authority for this area. Visit their website to apply for early years funding.
Apply for funding on the Barking and Dagenham website
