Little Crickets Nursery at Argyle House School

Baby, Toddler and Pre-School rooms give Little Crickets a distinct shape: children move between them according to their development, with routines and support adjusted along the way. Based within Argyle House School in Sunderland, the nursery welcomes children aged six months to four years. Its day extends from 8am to 5.30pm.

This is provision within an independent school, with a nursery manager leading a team that includes staff with degrees or Qualified Teacher Status. At the ISI inspection of 9 to 11 September 2025, the school's Nursery class had seven children. That is a dated class roll, rather than a measure of today's available places.

Play and planned activities share the day. Little Crickets follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), covering seven areas of development: children practise communicating, managing feelings and moving their bodies alongside early reading, number work, creative expression and exploring their surroundings. The practical consequence is learning through several kinds of activity, rather than concentrating solely on letters and numbers.

For babies, sensory exploration and gentle outdoor play sit alongside their individual routines. Toddlers have messy play, movement and music, using spaces both outside and indoors. In Pre-School, early literacy, maths and problem solving join play, with equipment chosen to help children do more for themselves. Age-specific rooms and secure outdoor areas give these activities their physical setting.

The September 2025 early-years findings provide concrete examples of teaching: children discussed a stethoscope, paired odd socks to explore counting, and considered rhymes and describing words. These activities connect vocabulary and mathematical ideas to things children can handle and discuss. Other early-years activities included drawing themselves using mirrors, singing, playing instruments and constructing towers with bricks. Stretching and reaching in PE developed balance and coordination. These findings concern the school's early years as a whole.

Individual routines matter most in the Baby Room, where staff adapt care to each child. Movement between rooms is also paced around development. Consistent routines and contact with families support those changes, giving children some continuity as their surroundings and activities change.

Blossom carries photographs and updates for parents, while meetings provide time to discuss progress and agree developmental next steps. Stay-and-play sessions and coffee mornings give families further contact with nursery life. In September 2025, early-years staff had undertaken training on supporting differing individual needs; staff working with young children also held paediatric first aid qualifications. Early-years safeguarding practice included keeping staff mobile phones locked away.

Drinks and breaktime snacks also have a social purpose: early-years children practise asking politely and thanking adults. For school meals, the Dining Room serves food cooked on site using a menu that rotates over four weeks. This describes the school's meal arrangements, rather than establishing what a nursery session includes.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Argyle House's terms describe progression through the school as conditional on meeting the relevant academic criteria, with families consulted in the spring term if progression may be refused. Families should treat the Reception place as a separate decision and use the school's admissions route to establish their child's offer.

Preparation is a different matter. Pre-School combines early structured learning with play and increasing independence, and the nursery team works with families on readiness for Reception. That developmental support should not be mistaken for an admissions entitlement.

Three booking patterns are listed: All Day runs from 8am to 5.30pm, AM Sessions from 8am to 12.45pm, and PM Session from 12.45pm to 5.30pm. Little Crickets operates across 50 weeks, making its calendar relevant to families seeking care beyond school terms.

Funding and extras. The school accepts the local authority nursery allowance for eligible three- and four-year-olds, with eligibility dependent on birth date and sessions attended; it applies on families' behalf. Its charging structure separates non-funded hours from a consumables charge attached to funded hours. Ask the school for current charges before booking.

Enquiries can go to admissions@argylehouseschool.co.uk or 0191 510 0726. Personal tours cover the nursery and school and can be booked throughout the year, providing an opportunity to see the rooms and discuss the session pattern.