Eastbourne Pre-School

Mud, paint and a playroom opening directly onto an exclusive garden give Eastbourne Pre-School its practical, hands-on character. Based at Eastbourne Sports Complex in Darlington, it takes children aged two to five and has 24 places in total. Messy play is a daily part of the offer, rather than an occasional activity.

Ofsted rated the setting Good on 18 July 2023, with improvements requested in the precision of teaching oversight and the duration of activities led by adults. That gives families a positive inspection position with two concrete points to explore. Morning, afternoon and all-day attendance are offered during term time.

Rooms and Ages

The accommodation centres on a playroom connected to a large garden reserved for the nursery's use. Children can move between the indoor and outdoor spaces, making outdoor play part of their choices during the day. The room's design also supports self-care, an emphasis that matters as children become more independent before starting school.

This is provision for children from two years old to school age. Its 24 places describe the capacity of the whole setting, rather than the number of children in an individual activity or group.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play gives children opportunities to practise language, explore materials and develop independence. Eastbourne's daily messy play adds a clear practical emphasis. Water and sand, alongside paint, mud and glue, give children different materials to handle and experiment with.

In July 2023, children shaped play dough into pretend birthday cakes and used building scenarios in imaginative play. Staff supported their choices about what to do. These examples show how a simple material or pretend role can become a starting point for conversation and imagination, rather than an activity with one prescribed result.

During July 2023, shared books, rhymes and songs were part of the day, while snack-time fruit provided opportunities to count. Staff also used questions about children's play to encourage conversation. Learning was woven into ordinary activities, so language and number work did not depend solely on a separate group session.

Outdoor and Community Life

In July 2023, outdoor experiences included slides, ride-on equipment and tree climbing, giving children different ways to practise movement and balance. The current connection between room and garden gives outdoor exploration a clear place in the nursery's layout.

Police and fire-service visits also featured in July 2023. Staff arranged these around children's interests, bringing people from beyond the nursery into their learning. These are dated examples of the nursery day, rather than a fixed visiting timetable.

Relationships and Communication

In July 2023, staff shared information about activities children enjoyed and sent families ideas to continue learning at home. This gave parents something concrete to build on, connecting nursery play with experiences beyond the setting.

School preparation in July 2023 included conversations about the move and pretend play using uniforms from local schools. Older children practised dressing for outdoor activities, using the toilet independently and helping to tidy. The emphasis was on everyday readiness: managing personal needs and taking some responsibility for shared spaces.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its July 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described staff assessing development, working with parents on referrals for additional support, and helping children with SEND make good progress. Those findings give a dated account of both protection and support, grounded in staff practice rather than a general promise of inclusion.

In July 2023, staff used signing with children and gathered familiar words for those learning English as an additional language. Conversations about feelings helped children recognise emotions, while learning about festivals celebrated by their peers introduced similarities and differences through children's own experiences.

During July 2023, staff supplied healthy snacks and encouraged families to send nutritious packed lunches. Activities about toothbrushing also made personal health part of the day.

Sessions and Attendance

Eastbourne Pre-School operates during term time and closes for school holidays. Opening hours are 8am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. Families can choose morning, afternoon or all-day sessions, so the attendance model serves both shorter sessions and a complete nursery day.

The nursery accepts enquiries by telephone, email and an online form. Staff can help with application paperwork, including funding applications, giving families practical assistance with the administrative side of joining.

Getting There

The address is Eastbourne Sports Complex, Bourne Avenue, Darlington, DL1 1LJ. The nursery has its own room within the complex; that identifies the setting more precisely than the street address alone.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered during term time: 15 funded hours for eligible two-year-olds, and 15 or 30 funded hours for eligible three- and four-year-olds. Eligibility remains a condition of those entitlements. Additional paid hours can be booked beyond funded attendance, and fee-paying childcare is also offered.

Some funded places require parents to obtain a funding code. The nursery can assist with the application paperwork, but parents remain responsible for applying for the code where required.

• School-holiday cover. Attendance follows the term-time calendar, with closure during school holidays. Families needing childcare throughout the year will need to account for those breaks.
• Teaching and group routines. In July 2023, teaching oversight needed more precision, and lengthy activities led by adults reduced opportunities for some children to learn. Discuss how staff now review their practice and adjust group activities for different children.
• Room, garden and booking arrangements. Appointments can include seeing both spaces. How would the indoor and outdoor arrangement, session timings and settling process work for your child?
• The complete childcare cost. Funded attendance and additional paid hours are separate parts of the offer. What would a written quotation for your chosen pattern include for meals, snacks and non-food consumables?

Eastbourne Pre-School suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon sessions as well as all-day attendance, with daily messy play and a direct connection between room and garden. Its appeal is concrete: children have materials to explore and space to move between indoors and outdoors.

The July 2023 findings add useful detail about independence, communication and imaginative play. They also leave teaching oversight and group routines as sensible discussion points. For parents who value a hands-on nursery day, this is a setting with a clear character and an attendance model that accommodates more than one family routine.