Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the things parents and providers ask most often. Don't see your question? Email hello@nurserymatch.com.

For parents

Where does NurseryMatch get its nursery data?▾

Listings come from the official Ofsted Early Years Register under the Open Government Licence v3.0. We refresh inspection data regularly. Photos, descriptions and opening hours come from nurseries that have claimed their listings.

What do the Ofsted grades mean?▾

Ofsted rates each nursery on four grades, based on a full inspection:

  • Outstanding — the highest grade.
  • Good — meets all standards.
  • Requires Improvement — falls short on one or more standards; will be re-inspected sooner.
  • Inadequate — serious concerns; closely monitored.

Inspections happen roughly every 4 years for Good or Outstanding settings, and more frequently for the lower grades. We flag a banner on profiles where the last inspection is over 4 years old so you can weigh how current the grade is.

Is it free to use?▾

Yes. Search, comparison, shortlisting, reviews, the quiz, area intelligence and the AI family-move assistant are all free for parents. NurseryMatch is funded by optional paid subscriptions for nursery providers — the pricing page covers what each tier includes.

How are reviews moderated?▾

Every review is checked before going live. We accept honest opinions — positive or negative — but remove abusive content, personal data about individual staff, and clearly fake reviews. Nursery owners who have claimed their profile can reply to reviews publicly on their listing.

How does the AI assistant work?▾

Tell the AI Family Move Assistant what matters to you in plain English ("family of 4, budget £700k, good primary schools, 30 min commute to Waterloo"), and it ranks UK postcode districts using public data on schools, crime, property prices, nursery density and more. It's a starting point for your search, not a recommendation.

Can I delete my account and data?▾

Yes — from your account page you can either export all your data as JSON or permanently delete your account. Deletion is immediate and removes your profile, reviews, shortlists, enquiries and saved searches.

For nursery providers

I run a nursery — how do I claim our listing?▾

Visit /provider/register, fill in your details and the nursery's URN (you can search by name or postcode), and we'll email you a magic link. Most claims are reviewed and approved within 24 hours.

What does the paid tier include?▾

Paid tiers unlock photo uploads, instant enquiry notifications, profile analytics, response-time badges and priority support. Free claimed listings get the basics — edit description, opening hours, fees and contact details. Full feature comparison is on the pricing page.

Can I have a higher Ofsted grade or boost my ranking by paying?▾

No. Ofsted grades come from the official register and we never edit them. Paid tiers don't influence search ranking — they only give providers control of their profile, photos, and faster enquiry response. We're strict about this because trust is the whole product.

There's an error on our listing — how do I fix it?▾

For information you can edit (description, hours, fees, contact details, photos), claim your listing and update it directly from your provider dashboard. For Ofsted data (grade, inspection date, registration status) you'll need to contact Ofsted to update the official register — the change will flow through to NurseryMatch on our next refresh. For anything else, email hello@nurserymatch.com.