Sessional pre-school in Roman Hill, Suffolk
YMCA Childcare Water Lane
Sure Start, The Ark Childrens Centre, Water Lane, LOWESTOFT, NR32 2NH · Getting there
Is it good?
Read the Ofsted reportOfsted inspection, before November 2025
Good
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
What does this mean?
This grade is from before November 2025, when Ofsted replaced single grades with report cards. The nursery's next inspection will give a report card, with a separate grade for each area instead of one overall grade.
Official records
- Ofsted registrationRegistered since July 2018Reference EY560835Ofsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Inspections on record1 inspectionlatest 19 September 2025Ofsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Registered places51 placesthe most children it may care for at onceOfsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Food hygiene rating5 (Very good)inspected 21 October 2024Food Standards Agency · checked 13 November 2026
Fees
Fees, hours and ages: not published yet
Thanks. We count every request and show the nursery how many parents are asking.
Estimate a monthly cost with the council area's typical day rate
Hours and ages
Opening hours and ages: not published yet.
Getting there
Sure Start, The Ark Childrens Centre, Water Lane, LOWESTOFT, NR32 2NH · More nurseries in NR32
Stations
- Lowestoft16 min walk · 0.6 miles
Buses
14 bus stops within 400 m, including Tudor Rose, Cross Keys and St Margarets CP School.
Parks and playgrounds
- Belle Vue Park12 min walk
- Sparrow's Nest Park12 min walk
- The Bleach playground3 min walk
- Playground7 min walk
NaPTAN, Department for Transport, checked 13 November 2026 · © OpenStreetMap contributors, checked 13 November 2026. Walking times are rough, from straight-line distance.
Places and next steps
Spaces: not published yet. Nurseries often fill months ahead, so ask early.
In Suffolk there are about 3.5 children under 5 for every registered nursery place. Places are how many children nurseries may care for, not free spaces, so this is a guide to demand. Source: ONS Census 2021.
What parents say
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Write a reviewAbout YMCA Childcare Water Lane
YMCA Childcare Water Lane is a sessional pre-school at Sure Start, The Ark Childrens Centre, Water Lane, LOWESTOFT, NR32 2NH, in Roman Hill, Suffolk. It is registered for 51 children. Ofsted rated it Good at its inspection in September 2025, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025. It is run by YMCA Trinity Group.
Run by YMCA Trinity Group (charity), which runs 3 nurseries.
Compare nurseries nearby
| Nursery | Ofsted | Full day from | Hours | Ages | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YMCA Childcare Water LaneThis nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | This nursery |
| YMCA Childcare - St Margaret's RoadFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.2 miles |
| Rainbow Day NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.3 miles |
| Trinity NurserySessional pre-school | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.4 miles |
| Scribbles Day Nursery (Seashore)Full-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.5 miles |
| St Benedict's Pre-SchoolSessional pre-school | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.7 miles |
| Kirkley NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 1.3 miles |
A dash means the nursery hasn't published it yet. Distances are in a straight line.
Nearby areas
Schools nearby
- St Margaret's Primary Academy Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Report cardinspected April 2026 0.2 miles
- Northfield St Nicholas Primary Academy Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Goodinspected July 2022 0.2 miles
- Roman Hill Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Quality of education: Requires improvement; Behaviour and attitudes: Good; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Goodinspected November 2024 0.3 miles
- Poplars Community Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Report cardinspected July 2026 0.3 miles
- Include Suffolk ages 5–12 0.4 miles
- Horizon School ages 4–16Ofsted: Requires improvementinspected June 2023 0.6 miles
- Woods Loke Primary School Primaryages 2–11has a nursery classOfsted: Outstandinginspected April 2024 1.0 miles
- Red Oak Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Good (Improving)inspected May 2023 1.2 miles
Straight-line distances. Places depend on each school's admissions rules. From the Department for Education and Ofsted.
Questions parents ask
Got a question? Ask and get an answer straight away.
What is YMCA Childcare Water Lane's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated YMCA Childcare Water Lane Good at its inspection on 19 September 2025, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.
How many children can YMCA Childcare Water Lane take?
YMCA Childcare Water Lane is registered with Ofsted for up to 51 children at any one time.
Who runs YMCA Childcare Water Lane?
YMCA Childcare Water Lane is run by YMCA Trinity Group, which runs 3 nurseries.
What is the nearest station to YMCA Childcare Water Lane?
Lowestoft is the nearest station we know of, 0.6 miles away in a straight line.
How do I contact YMCA Childcare Water Lane?
You can call 01502 561701 and visit ymcatrinitygroup.org.uk.
Tools for parents in Suffolk
- Childcare cost calculatorMonthly cost with funded hours
- Funded hours checkerWhich schemes you qualify for
- Funded hours start dateWhen your child's hours begin
- Tax-Free Childcare calculatorThe 20% top-up on your bill
- Visit checklist for this nurseryPrintable questions, pre-filled
- Cost of nursery in SuffolkFees by age in Suffolk
About this information
- Registration and inspections: Ofsted · 30 June 2026
- Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools · 4 November 2026
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Department for Education data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right; contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.
- Contains Department for Transport NaPTAN data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Food hygiene rating from the Food Standards Agency, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Source: Office for National Statistics, Census 2021, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Last checked 31 October 2026 · Ofsted URN EY560835 · Plain-text version · Report a mistake
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