Barnwell Academy
OutstandingTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Houghton-Le-Spring for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in November 2021. Open since 2014, with 36 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Funded childcare up to 30 hours for eligible working parents; eligible, funded two year old places; eligible, funded three year old places.
Worth knowing. Extra payments for funded hours: Lunch menu £2.70, Tea menu £2.10, Full Day meal menu £4:25; Breakfast/mid session snack and milk: free.
What childcare usually costs in Sunderland
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Sunderland from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
DH4 7RTWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 3 November 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are very happy and settled at this welcoming nursery. They show that they feel secure in the care of the nurturing staff. Children benefit greatly from a range of exciting and challenging experiences. For example, they use a variety of brushes and paint rollers to make marks with water during play outside. This helps to develop children's larger muscles, balance, and coordination in preparation for later tasks, such as early writing. Children use their senses as they roll and shape dough to identify scents that staff have added to the mixture. There is superb support for children's physical development. Children navigate wheelbarrows along winding paths in the nursery garden. They use their whole bodies as they climb up steps and slopes and slide back down.
Children's behaviour is excellent. They are encouraged to be respectful, take turns and help others. Staff are excellent role models, who have high expectations of all the children in their care. New children settle quickly and grow rapidly in confidence and independence. For example, young children are encouraged to learn how to use cutlery and drink from beakers from an early age. Children show great enthusiasm for the experiences on offer and are highly motivated to learn.
- 3 November 2021Outstanding
- 5 July 2016Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Barnwell Academy
- What it costs
- Youngest age taken
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.