Darlington College Childcare Centre
Good★ 4.3 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Darlington for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 17:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2024. Open since 2006, with 53 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Darlington
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Darlington 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
DL1 1DRWhat 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, 12 December 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff warmly welcome children into the nursery. Children settle quickly with a variety of activities on offer. Staff invest time getting to know children when they start. The key-person system in place is strong. Staff give very high priority to supporting children's emotional development. Staff effectively role model the kind and positive behaviours they expect the children to demonstrate. In turn, children are polite, caring and considerate of one another. Staff support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), extremely well. For example, when children struggle with their feelings, staff use calm voices in an age-appropriate manner to settle them down. This helps children to understand what is expected of them and learn to manage conflict. Children's behaviour is very good.
Leaders are reflective and have a clear vision of what they want children to learn.
Recent changes to the curriculum are still being implemented and embedded.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to extend children's learning during play, to help develop children's thinking and enable them to share their own ideas n build on how staff plan the outdoor provision to ensure that it consistently meets the individual learning needs of all children.
- 12 December 2024Good
- 10 January 2019Outstanding
- 8 July 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Darlington College Childcare Centre
- 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.