The Barn Childcare Riverbank

Fruit juicing, bicycle play and stories at a nearby library give The Barn Childcare Riverbank a practical, hands-on character in its December 2022 account of nursery life. Children explored everyday tasks as well as books. The strongest examples connect learning with things children can do for themselves.

At its 2 December 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, found safeguarding effective and highlighted SEND support involving parents and other professionals. Those findings describe that visit, rather than a fresh assessment of care today.

Based in Thornaby, the nursery has 48 places in total and accepts children aged 3 to 60 months. That is whole-setting capacity, rather than the size of an individual group.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: play and everyday experiences support development alongside practical care.

In December 2022, older children squeezed citrus fruit, learning to position it and turn their wrists to extract juice. Outdoors, bicycle play included imagined traffic signals and decisions about when to move. Younger children negotiated slopes and changes in height, using their arms to help themselves climb. These examples put movement and problem-solving into ordinary play.

Language also ran through practical experiences that December. Staff introduced vocabulary while children smelled spices, paused to let children answer and discussed what they were doing. Story reading included changes of voice and opportunities for questions. Visits to a nearby library brought songs, rhymes and stories into children's experience beyond the nursery.

In December 2022, babies reached towards their key person and staff held tired babies close while speaking softly to help them sleep. Observations of play informed assessments of children's development; furniture was positioned so babies practising standing could pull themselves up. Care responded to what children were trying to do.

Additional funding supported purchases linked to children's interests that December, including resources for pretend play. Older children invited others to join their games, while staff helped younger children practise sharing. Parents' feedback at the time described feeling involved in their children's learning and appreciating support from the team.

The address is Spring Riverbank Centre, Gilmour Street, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 6PF. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

In December 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. This is a dated description of participation, rather than a statement of current funding terms.

• Waiting during meals. In December 2022, waits for snacks and lunch left some children distracted or bored. The organisation of these routines mattered to how much learning children could sustain.
• Food hygiene. Practice in December 2022 did not consistently prevent children from touching food intended for someone else. Improving children's understanding of healthy habits was an action for the nursery.
• Funding arrangements. Funded early education formed part of the December 2022 offer. Which entitlements and attendance arrangements apply to your child's proposed place now?

The Barn Childcare Riverbank suits families seeking childcare across the year, with a weekday opening window spanning early morning to evening. Its December 2022 examples give parents useful detail about practical learning, language and responsive baby care. The two improvement points also deserve weight: meal routines and food hygiene were weaker parts of that dated assessment.