Siblings Private Day Nursery

A purpose-built nursery, a garden reached directly from the nursery and a Baby Unit with its own sleep area give Siblings Private Day Nursery a practical identity. This is the Sunderland Enterprise Park setting at the Business & Innovation Centre, serving children from 3 months to 5 years, with 43 places in total.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 14 June 2021 inspection. The physical arrangements give parents more concrete reasons to consider it: the nursery and gardens occupy ground level, babies have a separate outdoor area, and older children take learning into everyday places such as shops.

Full days sit alongside morning and afternoon sessions, so families can choose different lengths of attendance rather than committing to a whole day each time.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Unit has a mini kitchen, bathroom and dedicated sleep area, bringing feeding, changing and rest into the youngest children's part of the nursery. Babies also have a garden area apart from older children, allowing outdoor exploration with separation from more energetic play.

For toddlers, low shelves and containers labelled with pictures make choosing resources part of the day. Children can select an activity for themselves and begin learning to put things away. The emphasis is practical independence, alongside imaginative, sensory and physical play.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the educational framework: children learn through play, with activities shaped around their interests and development. Practitioners use observations to plan what comes next.

Development Matters and ECAT trackers are used to follow children's development. Each child also has an online learning journal with photographs and written observations; parents can add photos and comments, and the journal can help a Reception teacher understand the child's development.

Among the additions are dance and movement, Spanish lessons for preschool children and football coaching. Spanish is taught by a language teacher, while the weekly football coach works on listening, coordination and taking turns. Spanish and football carry additional charges, which families need to include when comparing attendance costs.

Older children's outings include a pet shop and supermarket. For supermarket visits, children make shopping lists with instructions from the nursery cook, linking early writing to a task with a real purpose. A dentist and the Fire Brigade also visit, extending children's experiences beyond nursery staff.

Outdoor and Community Life

The enclosed outdoor area connects directly to the nursery, making the garden part of the usable learning space rather than a separate destination. Outdoor activities include large paintings, construction and gardening, with mint and chives providing things to explore through smell and taste.

Regular local outings are complemented by annual trips and an annual family outing. Whitehouse Farm and FlamingoLand are examples of family destinations used previously, rather than a promise of the next itinerary. The family outing gives parents a way to share an experience with their child outside the usual nursery day.

Babies have individual care plans covering sleep, feeds and nappy changes around their routines. Their key person builds familiarity through these everyday moments, as well as talking, singing and play. That makes the care plan relevant to the whole day, rather than just to rest times.

As children approach 2, Baby Unit staff work with the Nursery and Pre-School team on the move between rooms. For children in the next age stage, the progress check at 2 usually involves parents and the Health Visitor, helping adults plan further learning together.

Behaviour support includes communication with families and consultation before external help is sought. The nursery's procedures allow work with speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and a behavioural team, with parental consent before those professionals are contacted. These are mechanisms for arranging support, rather than a guarantee about an individual child's experience.

Safeguarding arrangements include a designated lead, recruitment checks and procedures governing authorised collection. Parents identify who may collect their child, and an unfamiliar collector requires contact with the parent before the child leaves.

The nursery cook prepares breakfast, lunch and tea daily and can discuss children's dietary needs. The Baby Unit's dedicated sleep area gives rest a defined place within the care arrangements.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is North East BIC, Enterprise Park East, Wearfield, Sunderland, SR5 2TA. Enquiries can be made on 0191 516 6455 or through the contact form, selecting the BIC setting.

Full days run from 7am to 6pm. Morning sessions are 7am to 12.30pm, and afternoons run from 1pm to 6pm. The fee structure distinguishes five full days a week from bookings of one to four full days, alongside individual sessions. The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 51 weeks, excluding Bank Holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year. It closes at 1pm when Christmas Eve falls on a weekday.

Off-road parking and a drop-off zone are provided. These make car-based collection practical for families using the Enterprise Park setting.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 hours for eligible 2-year-olds and 15 or 30 hours for children aged 3 and 4, subject to eligibility. For eligible 2-year-olds, arrangements include 15 hours a week during term time or 11 hours a week across the year; participation does not itself establish a child's entitlement.

Full-day fees include breakfast, lunch and tea; morning sessions include breakfast and lunch, while afternoon sessions include tea. Lunch can be purchased separately where needed, or parents can send a healthy packed lunch.

Parents provide nappies, wipes, cream and summer sun cream. Spanish lessons and football coaching are additional paid activities. Current prices should come in the nursery's written quotation.

Fees are payable monthly in advance. Absence for sickness or family holidays does not reduce the charge, and leaving requires a full month's written notice or payment in lieu. Those terms matter when weighing the cost of an attendance pattern, not just its daily price.

• Baby routines and the room move. Individual care plans cover feeding, sleep and changing, with staff coordinating the move out of the Baby Unit as children approach 2. During a visit, discuss how your child's routine and that transition would be handled.
• Morning attendance and lunch. The morning session ends at 12.30pm and includes breakfast and lunch. This pattern combines a shorter nursery day with both meals.
• Paid activities. Spanish and football coaching involve additional costs. Decide whether these additions belong in your intended attendance budget.
• Leaving and absences. A month's written notice is required, and sickness or family holidays do not bring a fee reduction. Allow for these commitments when planning a change in childcare.

Siblings suits families seeking either full days or shorter morning and afternoon sessions, with a ground-level layout and defined facilities for babies. Its strongest practical details are the Baby Unit's sleep area, direct garden access and everyday outings that connect learning with useful tasks. The Good judgement dates to June 2021; the decision now rests on how the care routines, attendance choices and paid additions fit your family.