The Village Montessori Nursery School, Birtley

Oil-and-water experiments, books about planets and two guinea pigs give this Birtley nursery a recognisable character in its August 2022 account: children learning by trying things, asking questions and caring for living things. The Village Montessori Nursery School, Birtley has capacity for 39 children, with an accepted age range of six months to five years.

At its 19 August 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities were included and supported in activities. That is a dated judgement, rather than a description of a recent visit. The useful detail beneath it is the combination of practical investigation, early communication and growing independence.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, this brings together communication, movement, relationships and early skills such as reading, writing and mathematics through play and practical experiences; it is the baseline, rather than an extra programme.

In August 2022, preschool children explored what happened when they added oil to water using pipettes and test tubes. They then pursued their own idea of changing the water's colour. This was a concrete opportunity to test an idea and see what happened, rather than simply hear an adult explain it. Books also served different purposes: shared stories supported conversation, while information books helped children investigate planets.

Younger children practised making marks in foam; older children were beginning to produce identifiable letters and numbers. The distinction matters. Early writing involved physical exploration as well as the more recognisable marks that emerge later, with activities suited to different stages of development.

Outdoor and Community Life

In August 2022, children tended tomato and strawberry plants and helped care for the guinea pigs, Rusty and Jewel. These experiences connected discovery with responsibility: living things needed attention, rather than being resources to use and put away.

A climbing frame offered a different challenge. Children used finger grips and a rope to work their way upwards, giving them something tangible to practise and master. These are inspection-era examples, but they help explain the nursery's character at that point much more clearly than a general promise of active learning.

In August 2022, babies sought reassurance from their key persons, while older children drew adults into their play. Staff used knowledge of each child's starting point to plan individual next steps. For parents, those two aspects belong together: a familiar adult provided comfort and also understood what a child was ready to attempt next.

Communication with families in August 2022 covered children's development, learning and areas needing extra help. That gives parent partnership a practical purpose, linking what happens during nursery hours with the support a child may need beyond them.

Everyday independence was also visible in August 2022. Children managed toileting, washed their hands and served their own drinks, with adult guidance around healthy food choices. Meals and snacks formed part of the day, alongside opportunities to practise looking after themselves.

Two improvement points deserve attention. In August 2022, information sometimes came too quickly during activities, leaving some children less time to work out and communicate their own ideas. Parents were also insufficiently involved in deciding how early years pupil premium support should be used for their children. Both concern participation: children need room to respond, and families need a voice in decisions about targeted support.

The address is 27 York Road, Birtley, Chester Le Street, DH3 2BD. Opening hours are 7.45am to 5.45pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, with closures for bank holidays, Christmas and the final two weeks of the school summer holidays. Those breaks matter when planning childcare around work commitments.

In August 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That establishes its funded provision at that date; it does not establish a family's present eligibility or a particular funded attendance arrangement. Current prices should be obtained in the nursery's written quotation.

• Time to think. The August 2022 improvement point concerned the speed of information during some activities. During a visit, ask how staff now allow children time to develop and share an answer before moving on.
• Parents' role in targeted support. In August 2022, families needed greater involvement in decisions about early years pupil premium spending. Ask how that discussion works for an eligible child today.
• The full childcare bill. Funded provision was part of the August 2022 offer. Request a written breakdown covering the current funded arrangement, additional hours, food and non-food supplies so that the proposed pattern can be assessed as a whole.
• Holiday cover. Christmas and late-summer closures interrupt the otherwise year-round opening pattern. Match those breaks against the weeks your family needs care.

This nursery suits families seeking year-round childcare within its weekday opening hours, especially those drawn to practical exploration and increasing independence. Its August 2022 examples are unusually concrete: scientific investigation, plant care, animal care and everyday self-help skills.

The balance is equally concrete. The Good judgement sits alongside improvement points about children's thinking time and parents' involvement in targeted funding. Those are useful subjects for a visit, while the closure pattern is a straightforward practical consideration for working families.