Jarrow Private Day Nursery

Children planning, doing and reviewing their own activities give Jarrow Private Day Nursery a clear educational identity. Its High Scope approach makes room for children to choose their work, while adults contribute activities and change resources to follow developing interests. The practical appeal is a progression from softly furnished baby space to more structured preparation for school.

At its February 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found an ambitious curriculum, effective safeguarding and strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). That judgement belongs to February 2022; the room arrangements and learning approach described here form the current offer.

The nursery has capacity for 90 children, with a current age range of six to 60 months. Four named groups organise the day: Buttercups, Daisies, Daffodils and Sunflower. Opening hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Rooms and Ages

Buttercups, described for babies aged 0–1 year, uses soft lighting and furnishings to create a gentler physical setting for the youngest children. Daisies, for ages 1–2, combines a messy area for drawing and painting with a cosy space for books, songs and puzzles, giving toddlers both active exploration and quieter choices.

Daffodils, for ages 2–3, has two rooms encompassing play, a cosy area, IT and wet and dry activities, with sand and water freely accessible and learning shaped by children's interests. Sunflower, for ages 3–5, combines adult activities with children's choices and introduces greater structure ahead of school, while resources change in response to their interests.

The differences between these rooms are useful. They describe a progression in the environment and the organisation of learning, rather than simply changing the name above the door as children grow. Creative play remains present as the day becomes more structured.

Learning and Activities

The nursery follows the early years foundation stage, the framework for children's care, development and learning: play and everyday experiences support communication, physical development and growing independence. Alongside that framework, High Scope gives children a sequence of choosing an activity, carrying it out and thinking back over what they have done. This makes their decisions part of the learning process.

In February 2022, staff used interests that emerged during play to extend activities. Babies exploring how to post objects received further materials to continue experimenting; flashing wellington boots became a starting point for hopping, jumping and moving in different directions. These examples show how an ordinary moment could become an opportunity to practise movement or investigate an idea.

Stories also became construction challenges in February 2022. Children drew designs inspired by The Three Little Pigs, then used bricks to build a house and considered how its chimney could keep the wolf out. Books provided a problem to solve as well as a story to enjoy.

Outdoor and Community Life

An outside play area gives the current offer a physical counterpoint to the indoor rooms. In February 2022, children collaborated outdoors to wash a painting surface, deciding how to share the hose and direct the water. The task involved negotiation and practical problem-solving, with a purpose children could understand.

Relationships and Communication

In Daisies, staff work with parents on potty training and follow children's interests. That connects an important change in a toddler's routine with communication between home and nursery, rather than treating it as an isolated classroom task.

In February 2022, conversations with parents helped staff plan children's next learning steps. Practitioners also kept favourite resources ready for individual children. Taken together, these were concrete ways of using knowledge of the child, rather than relying on the same starting point for everyone.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff worked closely with other professionals to support children with SEND, and that targeted support helped funded children manage routines. One example was a sand timer used before a change such as preparing for lunch, giving children a visible signal of what would happen next.

In February 2022, older children helped count those present and took responsibility for cleaning tables before lunch. These small jobs connected number practice with participation in the group and care for shared resources. Children also helped adults assess the outdoor space before using it, bringing safety into an activity they could take part in.

Food is cooked in the nursery's kitchens, with locally grown ingredients used where possible. Vegetarian and gluten-free alternatives are offered, alongside drinking water throughout the day.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 24 Western Road, Jarrow, NE32 3DQ. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 5.30pm and operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and Christmas. Day bookings sit within its charging structure, alongside session and weekly prices.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email or by telephone during office hours. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees page also explains how funded education reduces the childcare bill.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded nursery education is offered, with 570 hours per year described for the term after a child's third birthday, subject to eligibility. Private childcare is also offered, with separate charging categories for session, day and week attendance. Families should distinguish the funded education element from the paid childcare they choose around it.

Sunflower's increased structure is intended to help children move on to school. Its mix of adult activities and children's own choices provides preparation within nursery life, rather than making school readiness a separate activity detached from the rest of the day.

• The youngest room. Buttercups uses soft furnishings and lighting for babies; during a visit, ask how settling, sleep and the usual group size work for your child's age.
• Choosing and reviewing. High Scope asks children to take part in planning and reflecting on activities. Ask to see how staff support this process for a child who is still developing spoken language.
• Your attendance and funded package. Day and session charging categories sit alongside funded education. Ask for one written quotation covering your attendance pattern, funded hours, meals and consumables, and confirm any dietary requirements within that discussion.

Jarrow Private Day Nursery suits families who value children's choices, creative exploration and a gradual increase in structure as school approaches. Buttercups' softer setting and Daffodils' separate activity spaces give that progression a physical form, while High Scope explains how children take an active part in their learning.

The February 2022 Outstanding judgement is a substantial part of its appeal. The decision for families is how the nursery's approach and room progression fit their own child, alongside the attendance package they choose.