Playhouse Day Nursery

A sensory garden for growing food and a child-led approach give Playhouse Day Nursery a recognisable character. Based in Ingleby Barwick, it combines nursery care with school wraparound and a holiday club. At its October 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good and found that the curriculum prepared children for their next learning steps.

The current age range runs from birth to eight years. That is broader than the nursery day alone: funded childcare is offered from nine months to four years, while wraparound serves children attending St Frances School. Families using different forms of childcare should distinguish those arrangements rather than treat them as one interchangeable service.

Term-time daytime care, school wraparound and holiday club each have their own practical shape. The school connection is useful for coordinating care, but it carries no guarantee of a school place.

Rooms and Ages

Main Room and Nurture Room are named spaces within the nursery. The child-led approach gives independence a clear place in the day, with practitioners supporting children to develop their own sense of identity. Painting, construction with blocks and storytelling provide concrete ways to explore ideas and express preferences.

In October 2022, babies investigated sand while adults supplied vocabulary and sounds; toddlers shared books with familiar practitioners and pointed to illustrations. Older children discussed what warm water might do to ice. These examples show different routes into communication: handling materials, listening closely and making predictions aloud.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for learning, development and care, bringing play and everyday routines into children's education. Here, the child-led approach sits alongside that framework. It describes how the nursery approaches children's independence, rather than replacing the requirements that apply to early-years provision.

In October 2022, imaginative play drew on experiences children brought from home. Children also explored Diwali through conversation and creative pattern-making, giving them opportunities to recognise celebrations important to their friends. Cooperation had a practical purpose: children shared mark-making tools and worked together on a tall tower.

Outdoor and Community Life

A sensory garden gives children space to cultivate vegetables, herbs and fruit and follow how plants grow. Grab and go boxes support learning outdoors. These are tangible resources for taking exploration beyond indoor activities, rather than treating the garden simply as somewhere to expend energy.

In October 2022, children used a large outdoor area for games including hide and seek with staff. Movement also featured through music for babies and group dancing for older children. Physical activity therefore appeared in several parts of the inspected day, with different experiences for different ages.

Familiar relationships were visible in October 2022: babies reached towards adults for comfort, toddlers sought their laps and older children talked readily while playing. Changes to the indoor layout had helped movement between baby and toddler rooms. That combination matters when children are ready for a new space but still need continuity in their relationships.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, with staff able to recognise welfare concerns and use reporting procedures, but called for training better matched to the ages staff worked with and more consistent help for children managing emotions and behaviour and understanding their impact on others. Those improvement points deserve attention alongside the positive judgement.

In October 2022, the manager reviewed children's assessments with staff and parents and contacted other professionals when further developmental support was needed. Parents valued the time practitioners spent discussing their child's day. This was a practical communication mechanism, linking nursery observations with family knowledge.

Mealtime routines also supported independence in October 2022: children helped prepare tables and distribute cutlery, while handwashing formed part of the routine. Snacks could be taken when children chose, allowing play to continue rather than stopping the whole group together.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is on Lowfields Avenue, Ingleby Barwick, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 5GA, within school grounds. Term-time opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm; the daytime price structure includes a 9am to 3pm term-time day and additional periods before and after it.

Holiday club has a priced attendance window of 8.30am to 4pm. Wraparound includes breakfast care with school drop-off and after-school collection where required. These patterns serve different needs: a nursery day, care around school attendance, and care during school holidays. Enquiries can be made by telephone or email.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare is offered for children from nine months to four years, alongside paid care. Daytime prices include lunch, snacks, wipes and nappies; holiday-club children bring a packed lunch, with snacks provided. The difference matters when planning what to send with a child.

Current prices should come in the nursery's written quotation. Keep the term-time day, any additional attendance periods and holiday care separate when considering the total arrangement.

Moving on to School

The nursery describes close links with St Frances of Assisi Primary school, including children shared with its nursery. Attending Playhouse does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process. Shared care arrangements and school admission are separate decisions.

• Holiday attendance. Holiday club is priced for 8.30am to 4pm, while different holiday opening schedules are given. At a visit, establish which opening schedule and booked attendance window apply to your child's holiday care.
• Emotions and staff development. The October 2022 improvement points concerned age-specific training and consistency in helping children manage behaviour and feelings and understand their impact on others. Ask how these changes now shape practice in the room your child would use.
• School connection. Wraparound supports children attending St Frances School, and the nursery describes close school links. Plan school applications separately from the childcare arrangement.

Playhouse suits families considering a term-time nursery day or wraparound around school attendance, with holiday club providing another attendance pattern. Its child-led approach, sensory garden and inspected examples of conversation and exploration give the offer useful substance.

The Good judgement provides a dated quality reference, while the training and emotional-support improvement points supply concrete questions for a visit. The strongest decision is therefore about the particular care pattern and room a child will use, alongside how practice has developed since October 2022.