Upperthorpe Nursery

An acre of grounds and a baby area with its own sleep and sensory space give Upperthorpe Nursery a recognisable character. Age-group gardens and a preschool cabin equipped for longer spells outside add practical appeal.

At its 29 November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Upperthorpe Nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. The judgement came with clear priorities: better outdoor learning, more consistent daily routines and further coaching for newer staff. Those points matter alongside the generous grounds. Space and the way staff use it are separate considerations.

Upperthorpe has capacity for 99 children, with the current age range running from three months to five years. Full-day and half-day bookings sit alongside funded education that can be taken during term time or spread across the year.

Rooms and Ages

Hedgehogs Room serves the youngest children up to two, with a purpose-built extension, its own garden, changing facilities, a sensory and sleep room, and a milk kitchen just outside the main room; activities follow individual routines and include sensory exploration, messy play and songs. That combination gives baby care a physical base of its own, including somewhere specifically intended for sleep and somewhere separate for preparing bottles.

For children aged two to three, Squirrels Room combines craft, pretend play and small-world resources with a garden used daily, while putting practice with coats and tidying into the day. Owls Room, for ages three to five, brings together early listening, mathematics, friendships and self-care, with construction and kitchen play indoors and a garden cabin equipped with heating, electricity and a bathroom. The progression is practical as well as educational: children rehearse tasks they will need to manage for themselves.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the educational framework: children develop language, physical skills, relationships, early literacy and mathematics through their activities and play. This is the shared foundation for early years provision. Upperthorpe uses Birth to Five Matters guidance to track development and help plan what each child works on next.

Individual Learning Plans set termly targets, specify practitioners' support and record progress at the term's end, giving parents concrete points for discussion.

In Owls, Letters and Sounds informs sound discrimination and listening before children learn to read. Small-group mathematics, group games and circle time combine early learning with participation.

During November 2024, toddlers experimented with foam and paint, older children talked about planets and an eclipse, and babies explored flaps and a mirror in a book. Familiar songs also featured, linking language with exploration.

Outdoor and Community Life

Hedgehogs' garden includes mirrors, scented herbs and spices, sand, water and ride-on toys. Indoors, instruments, stacking toys and light-up resources support sensory exploration. Children choose songs before lunch and tea.

A pirate ship sand area, balancing equipment and vegetable-growing space give preschool children reasons to explore outdoors. However, in November 2024 outdoor learning was less purposeful than indoor learning, disadvantaging children who preferred being outside.

The annual Graduation Ceremony marks departure for school with songs for parents, certificates and medals. It gives families a shared occasion to recognise the change.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person responsible for development records and family discussions. Settling follows individual needs, with Hedgehogs accommodating children's routines.

Tapestry, the online learning system, shares photographs, observations, Individual Learning Plans and age-two progress checks. Parents can contribute observations from home, bringing experiences beyond nursery into discussions.

Room changes begin with short visits accompanied by the existing key person. Parents communicate with both key people, and friends move together where possible. Children settle through these visits before moving permanently; additional support is discussed when needed.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted found effective SEND support through swift referrals, individual plans and work with health visitors and speech and language therapists. Current SENCO arrangements follow assessment, planning, support and review with parents, involving families in decisions.

The Safe Sleep Policy is discussed before admission. It specifies back sleeping unless a medical waiver is held, visual supervision and a cot or approved bed or mattress. Individual routines are accommodated where possible; staff neither force sleep nor keep children awake against their wishes.

A designated safeguarding person is on duty throughout opening hours, and staff hold paediatric first aid certificates. In November 2024, some room routines supported independence inconsistently, and newer staff needed further training and mentoring.

Freshly cooked meals use local produce where possible, include a vegetarian choice and can be adapted for dietary requirements; the allergy arrangements include working with parents on a care plan where medication is required. Parents supply milk for bottles, with separate refrigeration for breast milk.

Sessions and Attendance

Full Day is a booking from 8am to 6pm, while Half Day is sold as a five-hour block. At least two sessions must be booked each week on different days, and parents can pay to add hours. This minimum makes attendance a recurring commitment across the week, including for families choosing shorter sessions.

Upperthorpe operates for 51 weeks a year. It closes on statutory bank holidays and for a week over Christmas and New Year, beginning at 1pm on Christmas Eve. Families arranging work cover need to account for that closure as well as their chosen weekly pattern.

Admissions prioritise looked-after children, then children known by the local authority to have SEND whose needs can best be met here, vulnerable children with specified support plans, siblings and local families. Full-time bookings may take preference depending on work commitments, occupancy and room availability. Parents complete a contract and registration form before attendance.

Getting There

The address is 90 Woodland Road, Darlington, DL3 7PZ. On-site parking and proximity to Darlington Memorial Hospital and the town centre make the location relevant for families whose journeys already take them through this part of town.

Enquiries can be made by email to upperthorpenursery@hotmail.co.uk or by telephone on 01325 482111. Viewings are arranged by email.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded education offers either 15 or 30 hours a week over 38 weeks, with term-time and stretched arrangements. Additional hours can be bought separately, and childcare vouchers are accepted. The fees page explains the booking minimum and funding structure; current prices should be obtained in the nursery's written quotation.

Full-day fees include lunch, tea and morning and afternoon snacks; breakfast is complimentary. Parents supply bottle milk, including formula or breast milk. Ending a place requires four weeks' written notice or payment in lieu.

School preparation includes classroom role play, invitations to school representatives and a report for the receiving teacher describing each child's interests and development. Visits to schools with the key person are planned where possible. These arrangements support continuity between settings and help children become familiar with the change.

• Outdoor learning and daily routines. In November 2024, outdoor experiences needed more purpose and some room routines did too little to support independence; newer staff also needed further coaching. During a viewing, ask how garden activities, transitions during the day and support for new practitioners now address those priorities.
• Conflicting hours. The opening information gives 8am to 5.30pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 5pm Friday, while the session information gives a 7am to 6pm opening window and an 8am to 6pm Full Day. Obtain the hours for your intended booking in writing before arranging work cover.
• A regular weekly commitment. The minimum is two sessions on different days, and a full-time booking may receive preference under specified conditions. Consider whether that pattern fits your week before committing to the contract.
• Food allergies and baby routines. Allergy care plans and parent-supplied bottle milk are part of the arrangements. For an allergy-affected child, confirm current kitchen practice and discuss the care plan alongside feeding and sleep routines at the viewing.

Upperthorpe suits families choosing full-day care or half-day sessions across different days. Baby sleep and sensory facilities, individual learning plans and gradual room transitions give it practical appeal.

The November 2024 Good judgement came with weaknesses in outdoor learning, routines and coaching. Families with outdoor-loving children should weigh how the grounds are used; those planning work cover need the conflicting hours resolved.