Cramlington Kids Club

Babies, preschool children and school-age siblings share the wider childcare offer at Cramlington Kids Club, which combines early-years provision with school collections and holiday care. Based at Eastlea Primary School, it is managed on a not-for-profit basis by a voluntary committee of parent users. That gives the setting a practical family identity: care can span different stages of childhood rather than ending when a child starts school.

Ofsted rated the setting Good on 4 June 2024 and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. The setting has 121 places in total. The current early-years age range is two months to five years; the wider club also serves older children. Full-day and half-day bookings sit alongside before-school and after-school care.

Private early-years bookings include meals, and school collections serve named local schools. In June 2024, parents also exchanged updates with staff through an online app. The June 2024 findings also raise two decisions worth taking seriously: babies’ sleeping positions and support for internet safety at home.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Unit serves children from eight weeks to two years and has a stated maximum of 12 places, a useful scale marker for parents comparing baby care. Toddler Room caters for two- to three-year-olds, while Early Years serves children aged three to four. These are room age bands, rather than a description of the whole setting’s capacity.

In June 2024, learning followed children’s interests in specific, practical ways. Toddlers used toy dinosaurs to practise toothbrushing, bringing a familiar play interest into a lesson about looking after themselves. Older children explored shapes through their edges and corners and practised counting forwards and backwards. Activities using pincers to pick up and sort small objects exercised the hand movements needed for later pencil use.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care. The June 2024 examples show what that meant in practice: children developed language through conversation and books, explored numbers and shapes, and practised hand movements through hands-on play.

During that month, adults encouraged children to think through answers, supplied vocabulary during play and shared stories and picture discussions. This gives parents a more useful picture of the nursery day than a curriculum label alone. Learning included both speaking with adults and manipulating real objects.

Each unit combines planned activities with opportunities for children to choose their play. The wider club also organises outings and events during holiday periods, alongside family events. School collection is a separate practical strand: Eastlea Primary School, Northburn Primary School and Burnside Primary School are named collection points.

Relationships and Communication

In June 2024, parents could exchange updates with staff through an online app, including adding news from home. Families contributed to an initial picture of their child’s development, which staff revisited after six weeks. The two-way arrangement matters because experiences at home can inform what practitioners do next, rather than communication consisting only of a nursery update.

At the June 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children formed secure relationships with staff, that support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities involved shared strategies with other professionals, and that visits to the next room helped children prepare for transitions. These are specific mechanisms of support, rather than a general promise about inclusion.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Sleep needs closer attention. In June 2024, children had a quiet setting for daytime rest, but some were not positioned flat; the required improvement was to give every young child the opportunity to sleep lying flat. Calm surroundings alone did not settle that concern.

The second improvement concerned internet safety: information for parents and children’s understanding of online risks needed development. This is relevant beyond the nursery day, because the finding addressed internet use at home as well as communication with families.

For private Baby Unit, Toddler Room and Early Years bookings, a five-hour period includes dinner or tea, while a full day includes both. Meals and snacks are charged separately during funded hours, so the food arrangement depends on the booking’s funding basis.

Sessions and Attendance

The setting is based at Eastlea Primary School, Durham Road, Cramlington, Northumberland, NE23 3ST. Opening hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm on weekdays, across the year except bank holidays; the same opening hours apply in term time and school holidays.

Early-years bookings include a half day covering any five-hour period and a full day. This gives families a choice between a shorter block and care extending beyond it, rather than requiring every booking to follow one fixed morning or afternoon slot. Before-school and after-school care form part of the wider offer.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01670 730428 or by email to info@cramlingtonkidsclub.co.uk. There is no registration charge or holiday retainer. Early-years cancellations made with less than 24 hours’ notice attract a charge, including cancellations because of sickness; a missed booking is charged at the usual booked fee.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through the 15 or 30hrs entitlement. After a child’s funded hours for the week have been used, additional attendance is charged according to the room’s full-day or half-day rate. Families should obtain a current written quotation for their chosen arrangement.

Funded meals and snacks are separate charges, while creams, sun cream and wipes are supplied without an additional charge. Trips can involve a contribution towards the visit cost. These categories need to be read separately: funding the childcare hours does not make every item on the bill free.

Getting There

The club uses a minibus for collections from local schools and nurseries, with Eastlea Primary School, Northburn Primary School and Burnside Primary School specifically named. Being based at Eastlea Primary School does not guarantee a Reception place there; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Baby sleep. The June 2024 improvement required every young child to have the opportunity to sleep flat. At a visit, ask to see how sleep is arranged for your baby and how that requirement is put into practice.
• Internet safety at home. The June 2024 findings called for better information sharing and greater awareness of online risks. Ask what guidance now accompanies the app-based communication with families.
• The funded-hours bill. Meals and snacks carry separate charges during funded attendance, while additional hours use the relevant room rate and trips can involve contributions. A written quotation should distinguish these elements for your booking.
• Cancellation and collection. Sickness cancellations within 24 hours attract a charge, and children must be collected by 5.25pm ahead of the 5.30pm closure. These terms matter for families whose working hours or backup care can change at short notice.

Cramlington Kids Club suits families seeking either five-hour half days or full days, especially where younger children’s care needs sit alongside school-age collections. Its parent-user management and named school collection arrangements give the wider service a clear family purpose.

The June 2024 Good judgement is supported by detailed examples of practical learning, parent communication and transition support. Baby sleep and internet-safety guidance deserve direct attention before joining. The funding structure also rewards careful budgeting: private early-years meals are included, but funded meals and snacks are charged separately.