Kids 1st - Darlington
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Darlington 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 June 2025. Open since 2007, with 108 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
DL2 2GFWhat 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 June 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are very happy and well settled in the nursery. They form strong bonds and build close relationships with the caring and nurturing staff. Staff greet parents and children warmly. Most children enter the setting happily at the start of the day.
Those children who require additional support to settle, such as children new to the nursery, receive lots of cuddles and reassurance. This helps to develop children's confidence, happiness and security. Staff provide a balanced curriculum, which has an emphasis on children's personal, social and emotional development and supports them to make good progress overall.
Staff help children to develop a love of books. Babies snuggle up to staff and listen to the story of 'Dear Zoo'. Staff encourage children to explore cocoa powder, and make animal sounds and repeat single words. Older children bring stories to life as they recreate 'swirling snowstorms'. This helps to develop children's imaginations and supports their speaking and listening skills. Staff have developed a lending library so that children can take books home to share with their parents and carers.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to plan learning intentions for activities that focus more precisely on what children need to learn next n provide more support for children to practise simple tasks for themselves and further develop their independence skills.
- 3 June 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 17 September 2019Outstanding
- 2 March 2015Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Kids 1st - Darlington
- 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.