Crooksbarn Primary School Nursery

Songs, stories and conversation give Crooksbarn’s early years provision its character. Language is the central thread, with adults helping children take their thinking further and resources encouraging them to investigate and solve problems. For parents, the emphasis is on learning to communicate alongside developing independence.

The nursery belongs to Crooksbarn Primary School in Stockton-on-Tees. Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good following the inspection on 11 and 12 February 2025. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating.

Communication gives the learning a clear focus. In February 2025, children’s early experiences included singing, rhymes, books and storytelling. These give children different ways to engage with language: listening to a story, joining a song or taking part in a rhyme.

Resources invite children to investigate and work out solutions. Adults build on children’s ideas through their exchanges with them, helping understanding develop beyond the first response. The combination matters: children have things to explore, with staff interaction helping turn that exploration into learning.

Independence is also part of the picture. The February 2025 findings give parents a useful picture of children’s participation: they could pursue learning independently and persist with challenges. For families, this describes an early years experience in which children take an active role, alongside adults who extend their thinking.

Adult interaction is a concrete strength of the early years findings from February 2025. Staff helped children expand their understanding, while children showed enjoyment and persistence. That gives parents something useful to weigh: support here includes helping children think for themselves, as well as helping them participate in learning.

Across the school, staff identified special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) promptly. Training supported the use of adapted tasks and selected resources. These are school-wide arrangements, rather than a nursery-specific account of individual support. Safeguarding arrangements across the school were effective at the February 2025 inspection.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately for Reception through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Choosing nursery provision and securing a school place are separate decisions.

For parents considering staying at Crooksbarn, that distinction matters from the outset. A child’s nursery attendance should not be treated as confirmation of a future Reception place; the separate application remains necessary.

Crooksbarn Primary School’s address is Petrel Crescent, Crooksbarn Estate, Stockton-on-tees, TS20 1SN. The school’s telephone number is 01642531750. These provide the location and a direct school contact for families considering the nursery.