Bensham Grove Nursery School: the nursery day

A climbing tower can become the bridge in Three Billy Goats Gruff, while vegetables from the nursery allotment become something to taste at snack time. Play connects stories, movement and real experiences at Bensham Grove, a maintained nursery school operating across Sidney Grove and Deckham in Gateshead.

Sidney Grove has provision from birth to five, with The Nest and The Den serving children under two. Deckham caters for funded two-year-olds and children aged three and four through its Discovery Hub and Investigation Hub. The nursery admission policy gives an agreed admission number of 104 for three- and four-year-olds; this is not a total capacity for every age group across both centres.

Plan, do, review gives children opportunities to choose their play, explore ideas and return to what they have tried. Teachers work in the Discovery Hub and Investigation Hub at both sites, while key people join children's play and observe their developing interests. The Early Years Foundation Stage learning described here connects talking, physical skills, number work and social development through practical activities.

At Sidney Grove's Investigation Hub, small-group activities sit alongside stories and children's own explorations. Three Little Pigs inspired children to construct houses, test them with a handheld fan and consider which materials would withstand the wind. Preparing fruit smoothies brought safe cutting practice and conversations about food into the same story. These are concrete ways to investigate a question rather than simply hear an answer.

Outdoor space matters to the day. Sidney Grove examples include a gazebo for block building, a story nook for quieter reading and a sand area. Children have used balance beams, bikes and a climbing tower, and harvested tomatoes and potatoes from the allotment. At Deckham, activities during the academic year ending in July 2026 included Little Movers, Kalma Yoga and visits from a librarian and a dental health professional, bringing movement and outside expertise into nursery experiences.

Every child has a named key person. That adult helps with settling, personal care and growing independence, shares progress and friendships with parents, and handles everyday questions. The wider team supports this relationship, so care extends beyond one adult. At Sidney Grove, an April 2026 settling example involved families sharing information about new children and older children helping newcomers become familiar with sessions.

Communication also includes Famly, where parents can contribute observations from home. Food can become part of learning: in a summer allotment activity, the nursery cook prepared the children's harvested potatoes for tasting alongside tomatoes at snack time. Comfort items are permitted for sleep or wellbeing, giving children a familiar source of reassurance.

Ofsted's April 2023 inspection found that children with SEND benefited from prompt identification, individual learning targets and adaptations that enabled participation in the curriculum. Safeguarding was effective at that inspection, with regular staff training and detailed records of action. These findings concern the nursery school, rather than a separate childcare-provider judgement.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application to an infant or primary school; Bensham Grove's admission policy directs them to apply during the autumn term for entry the following September. Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions.

Preparation for that next stage has its own place in learning. At Sidney Grove, the January 2026 school-leavers programme used stories about emotions and smaller-group activities to help children recognise and express feelings. That supports emotional preparation; it does not confer an admissions advantage.

The sites offer different attendance patterns. Sidney Grove publishes care for children from birth to four five days a week, from 8am to 6pm across 50 weeks. Deckham operates in term time: morning sessions run from 9am to noon, afternoons from 12.45pm to 3.45pm, and its 30-hour places run from 9am to 3pm.

For three- and four-year-olds, the admission policy provides 15 funded hours across 38 weeks, beginning in the term after the third birthday. An additional 15 hours depends on eligibility. The core pattern is five mornings or five afternoons; mixed morning and afternoon blocked bookings are also offered, taking up to five education sessions over the week, subject to availability. Additional childcare can be self-funded. Contact the school for current charges.

For enquiries, call Sidney Grove on 0191 433 4090 or Deckham on 0191 433 5001. An adult over 18 must bring and collect each child. Tell staff when a different adult will collect; that person must provide the security password arranged through the admission pack.