Great Expectations Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Middlesbrough 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 May 2022. Open since 2007, with 90 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 Middlesbrough
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Middlesbrough 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
TS1 5AUWhat 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, 16 May 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children show that they are happy and contented at this very caring and nurturing nursery. Staff welcome children warmly when they arrive and sensitively support those who are upset when their parents leave. The time taken by staff to help children settle when they arrive promotes children's feelings of being safe and secure. Staff support children's emotional well-being and let children know that they are valued and appreciated.
Children across all ages show high levels of confidence and a can-do attitude to their learning. For example, babies delight in practising their new-found climbing skills. Their faces show absolute pride in their achievements as they manoeuvre themselves up and down small steps. Older children work together to build an obstacle course, deciding where to place the individual pieces. They learn to put their arms out for balance as they negotiate the different surfaces and levels.
Children happily accept the very genuine praise given by staff for their efforts.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to develop consistency in supporting children's communication, such as introducing new words into their vocabulary n make better use of the opportunities that arise during planned activities to support and extend children's learning even further.
- 16 May 2022Good
- 13 October 2016Good
- 6 August 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Great Expectations Pre-School
- 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.