Teacher Time Easterside

An allotment with a mini fruit orchard gives Teacher Time Easterside a practical connection between growing food, picking it and cooking with it. Its base inside Easterside Community Hub adds another useful dimension: children can use the children's library and take part in storytelling and music sessions. These are concrete opportunities to explore beyond nursery play resources.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 8 September 2022. That judgement is a dated assessment, rather than a description of every aspect of today's provision. The setting has capacity for 35 children; its childcare offer extends from six weeks to eleven years, combining nursery care with services for school-age children.

Flexible sessions accommodate parents working shifts, alongside breakfast club, after school club and wraparound care. The combination makes this a setting to consider for families whose childcare needs extend beyond the preschool years.

The EYFS shapes activities across seven areas of learning, with confidence, independence and social development forming part of the nursery day. In parent terms, play is used to develop children's abilities and relationships, rather than simply to occupy them. The allotment adds a tangible example: children see vegetables growing, cook with them and pick fruit for snacks when it is in season.

Easterside Community Hub also supplies opportunities for listening and shared activities through its children's library, storytelling and children's music sessions. These resources broaden what children can experience within the same community setting. The fruit orchard and library give this branch a recognisable character.

In September 2022, activities included threading, counting, singing and sensory exploration with sand, foam and paint. Pretend domestic play gave children opportunities to develop ideas about everyday life. Books prompted further activities, connecting stories with construction and creative play rather than keeping reading separate from the rest of the day.

Outdoor play in September 2022 included climbing, sliding, balancing and riding trikes in an enclosed area. Children could play outside in different weather conditions, supporting movement as well as exploration. They also used a library and computer station within the hub.

The balance between independent play and shared activities needed attention in September 2022. Some children received less encouragement to participate in adult-led groups, and staff deployment needed adjustment so that everyone could benefit. That matters for parents weighing how their child will be included in story times and other shared learning.

At its September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), collaboration with other agencies and effective safeguarding, including controls around children's internet use. Those findings give families a specific historical picture of support and protection, without turning that assessment into a current guarantee.

In September 2022, children had established relationships with their key person, and staff offered parents guidance about development. Learning was shared through an online platform. This linked children's experiences at nursery with conversations at home, giving parents something more concrete to discuss than a general account of the day.

Independence also had practical expression in September 2022. Children practised managing coats, pouring drinks and washing hands, with a nose-wiping station supporting self-care. Their achievements were displayed, making progress visible to them as well as to adults.

Social development was an improvement priority in September 2022. Staff needed to encourage more conversation between children, strengthen turn-taking and manners around food, and offer choices at snack and mealtimes. These are everyday interactions with a clear purpose: helping children listen, express preferences and show consideration for one another.

Teacher Time Easterside operates at Easterside Community Hub, Broughton Avenue, Middlesbrough, TS4 3PZ. Nursery enquiries and visit arrangements can be made by telephone on 01642 214003 or by email at teachertimerainbows@gmail.com.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm. Flexible sessions are designed around working parents' shift patterns, while breakfast club, after school club, school collection and drop-off, and wraparound services support families with children attending local schools. These are different forms of attendance, rather than one fixed nursery-day pattern.

In September 2022, the setting operated mainly during term time and also provided after-school and holiday care. That historical timetable should be kept separate from the current opening hours and flexible-session offer.

Funding and Paid Extras

In September 2022, funded early education was provided for children aged two, three and four. Families considering funded attendance should use the question below to explore how it would fit their proposed booking.

• Shift-pattern care. Flexible sessions are intended to accommodate working parents' shifts. At a visit, discuss how a typical working week would fit alongside the breakfast club or after school club arrangements your family needs.
• Shared learning and social skills. September 2022 improvement priorities covered participation in adult-led groups, conversations between children, and choices, manners and turn-taking at mealtimes. Ask how staff now organise those moments and include children who need more encouragement.
• Funded attendance. Funded provision for two-, three- and four-year-olds formed part of the September 2022 offer. What funded attendance arrangement and associated charges would apply to your child's proposed sessions?

Teacher Time Easterside suits families seeking flexible nursery sessions or breakfast club, after school club and wraparound support for older children. The allotment, seasonal fruit picking and access to the hub's library and shared sessions give it practical appeal. Its Good judgement dates from September 2022; the strongest decision will combine those concrete features with a discussion of how the identified improvements have been addressed.