Goulton Grange Day Nursery

An organically managed dairy farm overlooking the Cleveland Hills gives Goulton Grange Day Nursery its character. This is countryside childcare with a practical outdoor emphasis, rather than rural scenery alone: farm walks and outdoor play featured in children's daily experiences in January 2026. The setting matters to the day.

Goulton Grange cares for children from birth to five and has 40 places in total. Its converted building in Potto has underfloor heating in every room and a purpose-built outdoor play area with a safety surface, bringing indoor comfort alongside space for active play.

At its 7 January 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged children's welfare and wellbeing to be at a strong standard, with achievement, behaviour and routines, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership at the expected standard; safeguarding standards were met. That is a report card with separate judgements, rather than a single overall grade. Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings sit alongside term-time and full-time attendance.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room serves children aged birth to two, while the Big Room takes children aged two to five and emphasises development, independence and preparation for their next steps. These age bands give families a clear starting point for understanding the move between the youngest children's care and the older children's experiences.

Underfloor heating runs throughout the rooms, and the nursery also has multiple play areas. The physical offer combines indoor spaces with a purpose-built outdoor area, so active play has a place alongside quieter learning.

Learning and Activities

The nursery follows the EYFS Birth to Five curriculum: children's learning develops through play, conversation and everyday routines, including physical skills, early number work and growing independence. The framework provides the foundation; the farm setting gives some of those experiences their local character.

In January 2026, babies investigated paint with their hands and tools, while older children linked play dough creations to a story about a bear and a cave. Books and creative play connected. Other examples included children recognising numerals, using mathematical language with interactive resources and persisting with dressing a doll, showing how number, language and practical problem-solving could enter ordinary play.

Mealtimes were learning opportunities too. During January 2026, babies practised using spoons, and older children handled cutlery at tables. Older babies also practised sitting on chairs before moving into the preschool room. These are small, concrete steps towards managing everyday tasks, rather than school preparation confined to formal activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

Goulton Grange Farm is an organically managed dairy farm, with countryside views towards the Cleveland Hills. A practitioner also holds an Animal Technician role and supports learning involving animals and nature. That gives the rural setting a connection to staff responsibilities as well as the surroundings.

In January 2026, children spent time outdoors daily across different weather conditions and took walks around the farm. Climbing equipment gave them opportunities to practise balance and movement. Older children considered risks themselves, identifying slippery paths in snowy weather and discussing clothing needed for warmth. The practical value is clear: outdoor experiences included learning how to judge a situation, alongside physical activity.

Relationships and Communication

In January 2026, babies and older children built close relationships with their key person, while staff adapted care to individual needs. Sleep routines included carefully supervised outdoor sleeping. For families choosing care for a baby, those details make relationships and sleep arrangements as relevant as the learning spaces.

Famly is the nursery's parent communication app, providing updates about children's day and a route for communication with staff. Parents can visit their child during the day and discuss development with the team. Together, these arrangements give families both digital updates and opportunities for direct conversation.

All staff working in the rooms hold paediatric first-aid qualifications. The nursery also carries out DBS checks and has CCTV throughout the setting. These arrangements cover first aid, staff checks and monitoring of the premises.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that individual support included tailored use of additional funding, staff training and work with external professionals, while identifying two priorities: improving adult interactions to extend children's language and broadening children's understanding of cultures, traditions, similarities and differences. The language concern involved adults sometimes asking too many questions, which limited how far communication developed.

The current team includes a deputy manager with experience supporting children with SEND and a wellbeing lead. In January 2026, additional creative resources helped children communicate and share with others, and referrals and joint assessments supported planning for the move to school. These mechanisms are more useful to families than a broad promise of inclusion.

Staff prepare fresh menus, accommodate special dietary requirements and offer vegetarian or vegan alternatives. The weekly menu is accessible through Famly, giving parents a practical way to follow what their child will eat.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 50 weeks of the year. Full-day bookings, morning sessions from 7am to 1pm and afternoon sessions from 1pm to 6pm are offered under both full-time and term-time arrangements. This gives families a choice between a shorter part of the day and a full-day booking, as well as different attendance calendars.

Enquiries can be made through the Famly enquiry form, by telephone on 01642 700406 or by email at info@goultongrange.co.uk. After-school care can also be arranged if required.

Getting There

The address is The Greens, Goulton Grange Farm, Potto, Northallerton, DL6 3HP. Road access is via the A172 and A19, making those routes relevant when considering the nursery journey from North Yorkshire or Teesside.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible three- and four-year-olds, with up to 30 hours or 15 hours depending on eligibility. Private childcare is also offered, and the funded-place charge structure includes an additional voluntary services fee for full-day, morning and afternoon bookings.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Some childcare vouchers are accepted, and families with more than one child attending receive a sibling discount for the eldest child. The fees and attendance information brings the session choices and funded-place charge structure together.

• Language and cultural learning. The January 2026 priorities were richer adult interactions and greater understanding of cultures and differences. At a visit, ask how these changes now shape conversations, stories and activities.
• Outdoor sleeping. Carefully monitored outdoor sleep formed part of care in January 2026. Discuss how the arrangements fit your baby's routine and preferences alongside the nursery's outdoor day.
• Funded-place costs. An additional voluntary services fee applies to the funded-place session structure. Ask how funded hours fit your chosen calendar and how meals, snacks and non-food consumables are treated in the written quotation.
• Dietary needs. Vegetarian and vegan alternatives and special diets can be accommodated. Families managing allergies should confirm current food preparation and dietary arrangements before joining.

Goulton Grange suits families who want a farm setting to contribute to their child's experiences, with morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day care, and term-time or full-time attendance. Famly communication and the emphasis on everyday independence add practical value beyond the countryside address.

The January 2026 findings give welfare and wellbeing greater weight than the other assessed areas, while the language and cultural-learning priorities deserve attention. For an outdoor-minded family, this is a nursery with a clear character and concrete care arrangements to explore.