Kidzone
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Crook for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 October 2024. Open since 2002, with 60 places.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
DL15 9BGWhat 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, 10 October 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff pride themselves on their very strong relationships with children and their families. The children arrive at the nursery happy and settled. They confidently leave their parents and carers to start their day. The curriculum has a clear focus and builds on children's prior learning and current interests. Staff place a great emphasis on respectful relationships, positive interactions and supporting children's physical and emotional development. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress in their learning.
Positive partnerships with external agencies ensure that children are provided with the strategies to support their development. For example, the community health visitor attends the setting regularly, offering support to staff and families.
When planning the curriculum, the staff consider all areas of learning. For instance, they plan a wealth of experiences to support children's physical development, providing plenty of opportunities for mark making and early writing. Children in the pre-school pick up pretend worms with tweezers to help develop their pincer grip for early writing. Staff use trusted interventions to support children with their communication and language development. Consequently, children talk confidently with their friends and adults. Staff use effective techniques to promote positive behaviour. For instance, they offer praise and clap to celebrate children's achievements. This encouragement helps to promote positive behaviour and selfesteem.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the procedures in place for the evaluation of the provision, to ensure that areas for improvement are routinely identified and actioned in order to further improve outcomes for children n further develop the planning for the outdoor area in order to encourage children to develop their expressive and imaginative skills during self-led play.
- 10 October 2024Good
- 15 January 2019Good
- 16 June 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Kidzone
- 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.