Crookhill Early Years

A nursery building in a school field, with its own Forest School area, gives Crookhill Early Years a clear outdoor character. Children have space to investigate natural materials and follow their interests, rather than treating outdoor play as an occasional extra. The setting shares the site of Crookhill Primary School in Ryton, but has its own nursery provision.

At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Crookhill Early Years Good and found safeguarding effective. That judgement provides a useful starting point, though the detail matters: independence, outdoor exploration and books featured strongly, while activities for the youngest children and support for emerging language needed attention.

There are 60 places in total, with the current age range spanning 24 to 60 months. Morning, afternoon and full-day nursery sessions run during term time, with a minimum attendance of two sessions each week.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, including communication, physical development and relationships, alongside early literacy, mathematics and creative expression. At Crookhill, children’s ideas help shape their play, with adults contributing resources and extending an activity rather than simply directing it. This gives families a useful distinction between the educational framework and the nursery’s practical approach to delivering it.

The purpose-built nursery uses an open space arranged around children’s needs. In January 2023, materials were accessible enough for children to choose what they wanted for creative work and prepare their own paint. Everyday tasks also became opportunities to practise independence: children managed outdoor clothing, washed their hands and helped restore order after play. These small responsibilities gave them things to do for themselves throughout the day.

Books were another substantial part of nursery life in January 2023. Reading spaces extended outside as well as indoors, and sound-making books prompted children to respond, laugh and share stories. Familiar stories also supported group activities. However, some activities failed to hold the youngest children’s attention, and adults occasionally used language that was too complicated for children whose communication was still developing. Those are specific teaching points, rather than a reason to dismiss the wider offer.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School adds child-led exploration in the school grounds, using natural materials for activities such as building dens, searching for small creatures and making pictures. Trained leaders supervise the sessions. Sticks, collecting boxes and magnifying glasses give children practical ways to investigate what they find; counting objects and discussing discoveries connect outdoor activity with learning.

The outdoor emphasis extends beyond a named session. Families are asked to provide clothing suited to the weather because much of the learning happens outside, including running, climbing and play with water and sand. Clothes that can get dirty are useful equipment here, rather than an afterthought.

In January 2023, winter exploration included sledging and examining frozen water in the mud kitchen. Children used shape words and counted broken pieces of ice, while woodland experiences brought encounters with foxes, deer and squirrels. These examples show how outdoor experiences can generate questions and conversation, as well as physical activity.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with an offered home visit, giving families a familiar place to explain their child’s routines and needs. A phased induction then starts with shorter attendance and builds gradually. Each child has a key person, so the relationship with nursery begins with an identified adult rather than an expectation that a child will immediately manage a complete session.

EYlog is the observation and photograph system used to connect children’s experiences with the learning framework and allow observations and photographs to be shared with parents by email daily. That gives families concrete material to talk about at home. Parents can also raise concerns around session times or arrange a longer discussion when needed; the digital updates sit alongside direct conversations.

Early Years Teachers with early years degrees are part of the team. There are also designated child protection lead roles and a Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator. These are useful points of contact for families discussing care or support arrangements.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that key workers supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities worked closely with external agencies to understand and support their needs. This is a dated finding about how support worked, rather than a promise about every future child’s experience.

Parents supply the shared nursery snacks, contributing two pieces of fruit or another healthy snack each week. Families are also asked to apply sun cream before attendance in warm weather. Following sickness or diarrhoea, children must stay away for at least 48 hours after the final episode, a practical consideration when arranging cover for an unwell child.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at Crookhill Primary School, Hexham Old Road, Ryton, NE40 3ES. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 0191 4137473 or by email to crookhillearlyyears@gmail.com.

Core nursery hours are 8.40am to 3.20pm. The morning session runs from 8.40am to 11.40am, the afternoon from 12.20pm to 3.20pm, and a full day from 8.40am to 3.20pm. Children must attend at least two sessions a week. The setting operates during term time and closes for school holidays, so its calendar is a significant part of the choice.

Breakfast provision starts at 7.45am, and the Out of School Club offers afternoon bookings ending at 4.15pm or 5.15pm. Club bookings use the EYLog app after registration and completion of the family information form, and must be made 24 hours ahead. Club arrangements deserve separate attention from the core nursery timetable.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible children can use 15 or 30 funded hours a week, and the 30-hour offer can extend across 7.45am to 5.15pm. Paid nursery hours and club sessions are also offered, and settling sessions are charged. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation for the chosen attendance pattern, including the settling period.

Moving on to School

Sharing a site with Crookhill Primary School gives the nursery a direct school connection. In January 2023, teachers visited children and met parents before the move to school, and staff shared professional development. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Teaching for younger children. In January 2023, group activities sometimes lost the youngest children’s interest, and language was occasionally insufficiently adapted. On a visit, ask how activities and conversations now accommodate children at different stages of communication.
• The term-time calendar. School holidays are closure periods. Families needing care across the year will need to plan around that timetable.
• Club hours and cancellation terms. Club information gives different afternoon options, including a 6pm finish, and cancellation notice varies between 24 and 48 hours. Confirm the finish and notice period that apply to your booking before committing.
• Settling and daily supplies. Settling sessions are charged, and families contribute shared snacks and apply sun cream before warm-weather attendance. Ask how lunch and other care supplies fit into your child’s attendance and quotation.

Crookhill Early Years suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as a full nursery day, with an outdoor emphasis and a gradual start through home visits and phased induction. Forest School and the open nursery space give the offer a recognisable character; EYlog provides a practical connection between nursery experiences and home conversations.

The term-time calendar and separate club arrangements need to fit family routines. For parents of younger children, the most useful test is how today’s teaching responds to the January 2023 concerns about engagement and early language.