Byerley Road Preschool
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Shildon for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2024. Open since 2004, with 45 places.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
DL4 2DXWhat 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, 18 March 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at the setting eager to play and interact with their friends. Staff warmly welcome them and help them to settle in and get busy exploring the environment. The happy, relaxed atmosphere helps children to settle quickly. When children require emotional support, staff provide nurturing cuddles, which calm and soothe them.
There is an ambitious curriculum in place which has a particular focus on developing children's independence skills and their communication. Staff carefully plan experiences in the setting based on children's interests. This results in children showing high levels of engagement. For instance, staff plan a dinosaur theme, which ignites pre-school children's imaginations and curiosity. Children develop their own play around this theme, developing key language skills and practising their social skills. Children develop new knowledge and understanding, and use this to make connections in their play. For example, they look closely at features of toy dinosaurs and proudly match them to pictures on a display.
Children's behaviour in this setting is excellent. Staff have taken care to teach children positive behaviours and routines. They help children to build on these skills as they grow and move through each room. As a result, older children are able to listen carefully and benefit from the high-quality teaching, for instance during circle times. This prepares children well for the transition on to school.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- consider ways to further develop the learning environments for babies, to focus more closely on promoting their physical development skills n improve leaders' understanding of the training which staff have undertaken, to accurately evaluate staff's knowledge and skills and identify training needs across the setting more precisely.
- 18 March 2024Good
- 22 May 2018Good
- 15 July 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Byerley Road Preschool
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- 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
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? 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.