The Bridges Nursery School

A former school building, separate dining and sleeping spaces, and enclosed outdoor areas give The Bridges Nursery School a recognisable setting in central Gateshead. Windmill House accommodates nursery life across two floors, with room for different activities rather than a single shared space. The nursery has capacity for 137 children aged 2 to 60 months.

At its June 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and highlighted the strength of support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. That is a dated assessment, with useful detail beneath the grade: responsive support, language-rich activities and practical independence featured alongside improvements needed in babies’ mealtimes and changes between activities.

Full-day, half-day and term-time attendance sit alongside a flexible service for parents whose shifts change. The practical choice is broader than a single working-day pattern.

Rooms and Ages

Six classrooms, two dining rooms and one sleep room make up the nine rooms at Windmill House. Two classrooms open directly into two enclosed outdoor play areas. That layout gives some children a direct connection between indoor activities and outdoor play, while eating and sleeping have their own spaces.

The Baby Room has a room leader; the Toddler Room emphasises language through stories, while outdoor play also features in toddler-room practice. In the pre-school room, the room leader has extensive SEN training and has completed the level 4 Elkan Award, training concerned with children’s language development. These are useful distinctions between stages, rather than reasons to assume every room follows the same day.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play, active exploration and problem-solving. It is the shared early-years foundation, with children encouraged to use their own initiative rather than simply follow adult instructions.

In June 2022, toddlers searched bubbly water for toy creatures, while preschool children worked with dough, scissors and colour mixing. These examples connect play to practical skills: handling materials, coordinating movements and trying out ideas. Songs, stories and rhymes also featured in the day, with adults extending conversations and introducing vocabulary.

Outdoor and Community Life

In June 2022, outdoor play included scooping sand and water, running and using a climbing frame. Children also negotiated the rules of games with one another. Physical activity and social choices therefore shared the same space.

Weekly library outings and visits from a football coach were part of nursery life in June 2022. The former brought books into a community setting; the latter added organised physical activity. Their frequency belongs to that period.

The 360 Virtual Tour offers families a way to explore the rooms, play areas and outdoor facilities before a visit. It is useful preparation for discussing which spaces a child would use, especially in a building arranged over two floors.

In June 2022, adults shared daily news with parents and used their assessments to plan around children’s interests and developmental needs. Babies received cuddles, and older children practised personal routines such as handwashing, toothbrushing and toileting. Care included helping children do things for themselves.

The same June 2022 account described special educational needs coordinators identifying learning needs and arranging additional agency support promptly. Today, the nursery’s staff structure includes a SENCO and a safeguarding coordinating role. These are identifiable responsibilities families can discuss, rather than a general promise that every need will be met in the same way.

Language development also has a place in staff training. The pre-school room leader’s Elkan Award complements the Toddler Room’s use of stories, giving parents concrete examples of how communication is considered at different stages.

Mealtime interaction deserves attention. In June 2022, adults did not consistently position themselves at babies’ height during feeding, and children sometimes had too little preparation before activities ended for tidying. Both points concern the quality of ordinary moments: a baby’s conversation during a meal and an older child’s chance to finish something that matters to them.

Home-cooked meals are included in the childcare charge. Food, snacks and drinks form part of that inclusive arrangement, so families can distinguish eating costs from the supplies they need to bring themselves.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Windmill House, St Cuthberts Road, Gateshead, NE8 2EL. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year, with bank holidays and approximately a week at Christmas closed.

Booking options include full days and half days, as well as term-time attendance. A flexible service accommodates changing shift patterns. Nursery wraparound provision also offers school-nursery collection or drop-off alongside a morning or afternoon nursery session, which may help families combining two parts of a child’s day.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01914773233 or through the childcare enquiry form. The 360 Virtual Tour provides another practical starting point for getting familiar with the building.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted, including 30 hours for eligible working parents of children aged nine months to five years, 15 hours for all three- and four-year-olds, and 15 hours for some two-year-olds receiving additional support, subject to eligibility confirmation. Working-parent codes must be revalidated every three months, with applications made before the relevant term deadline. Tax-Free Childcare payments are also accepted.

The inclusive charging policy covers meals, drinks, snacks, planned daily activities and the resources used, including for funded childcare. Parents supply formula when needed, along with nappies, wipes and nappy cream. Bringing food from home does not reduce the daily rate.

Some trips can carry a separate charge, with parents able to opt in or out. Extra childcare hours are charged separately. These distinctions matter when comparing the total arrangement: daily activities are included, but additional time and selected outings sit outside it.

A registration charge and deposit accompany the signed contract. The registration charge is refundable within a reasonable period after attendance begins, and the deposit is refundable at the end of the contract. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation; the fees policy explains the charging structure.

Monthly fees are paid in advance, with annual attendance costs divided across twelve months; weekly payments are also accepted. Absence, sickness and holidays do not reduce fees. Ending the contract requires a month’s written notice, submitted on the first day of the month, and fees remain payable throughout that notice period whether the child attends or not.

• Babies’ mealtimes. In June 2022, adults did not consistently sit at babies’ height when feeding them. During a visit, ask how feeding is organised now and how staff give babies individual attention.
• Finishing an activity. June 2022 practice sometimes gave children insufficient preparation before tidying, especially around lunch. Ask how practitioners warn children about changes and help them complete their play.
• The funded timetable. Term-time attendance and funded childcare are both offered. How would the funded hours be arranged across your child’s week and the nursery calendar?
• Leaving the contract. Notice must start on the first day of the month, and payment continues even if the child stops attending. Build that timing into plans for a move or the next stage of childcare.

The Bridges suits families considering full-day, half-day or term-time childcare, including parents with changing shifts. Separate eating and sleeping spaces, direct outdoor access from some classrooms and language-related staff training give the offer practical substance.

Its Good judgement dates to June 2022. The most useful visit discussion is therefore specific: babies’ feeding interactions, preparation for changes in the day and the timetable for funded attendance. Those details will help a family judge the fit beyond the grade.