The Oval Childcare Services

At its August 2025 inspection, pretend cooking, building blocks and carefully chosen books gave The Oval Childcare Services a recognisable learning character. Based at Newtown Community Resource Centre in Stockton-On-Tees, it accepts children from birth to five years.

At its August 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found effective safeguarding and strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The main reservations concerned opportunities to practise physical skills and the quality of outdoor learning. Those matter when weighing the nursery's strengths against a child's particular needs.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, the August 2025 examples included learning language through songs and exploring numbers through play. Babies joined actions while adults sang; older children used a play kitchen for imaginative cooking.

In August 2025, books of the term organised literacy activities around selected texts, their themes and vocabulary. Children also made marks to record food orders in a play café, giving early writing a practical purpose. Counting pretend ingredients and comparing building blocks brought mathematics into activities children could understand.

Choice was another thread. In August 2025, staff used children's interests to plan activities and played alongside them to extend their ideas. Indoor arrangements allowed children to select activities and direct their play independently.

Physical learning was less consistent at that visit. Dough activities exercised children's hands, but adults did not reliably demonstrate scissors or mealtime utensils. Babies' activities were often arranged on the floor, reducing chances to practise standing. Outdoor learning opportunities were also restricted, with garden development still planned.

In August 2025, babies sought comfort from familiar adults, while older children approached staff to share ideas and achievements. Predictable routines and clear expectations helped children understand how to behave; staff demonstrated kindness and encouraged consideration during shared activities.

Adaptations at that visit included a quiet area for children to pause and manage their feelings, alongside changes to activities for individual needs. Toothbrushing and handwashing were part of learning to look after themselves. These examples give parents concrete practices to discuss, rather than a general promise of individual attention.

The address is Newtown Community Resource Centre, Durham Road, Stockton-On-Tees, TS19 0DE. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round opening.

In August 2025, the nursery provided government-funded early education and received extra funding for disadvantaged children. It also offered wraparound care for school-aged children at that time; this is separate from the current birth-to-five nursery age range.

• Physical development. In August 2025, children needed more consistent practice with physical skills, including standing, scissors and utensils. On a visit, explore how activities now support your child's stage of development.
• Outdoor learning. The garden needed further development in August 2025, and opportunities outside were restricted. This deserves attention for a child who prefers outdoor play.
• Booking your working day. Year-round opening runs from 7am to 6pm on weekdays. Ask how a booking would cover the hours your family needs.

The Oval suits families seeking year-round weekday nursery care, with an inspection-era picture of learning built around books, imaginative play and everyday mathematics. Its August 2025 strengths sit alongside specific physical-development and outdoor-learning shortcomings. Those are the most useful priorities for judging whether its daily experience fits your child.