Lighthouse Day Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Stockton-On-Tees for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2022. Open since 1996, with 34 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 Stockton-on-Tees
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Stockton-on-Tees 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
TS18 3NGWhat 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.
- 28 March 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 18 October 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and settled in this welcoming, family orientated nursery. They are supported to feel safe, settled and secure by the caring staff team. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, parents are no longer allowed to enter the setting.
Handovers are completed at the entrance. Staff provide lots of comfort when children become upset, offering cuddles and reassurance. This helps children to begin to feel emotionally secure and to develop close bonds with staff.
Staff provide a wide range of enjoyable activities and experiences that stimulate and intrigue children. For example, children add a wide variety of herbs and spices to the play dough to stimulate their senses. They develop their fine motor skills in preparation for early writing by using pincers to pick up the conkers in the autumnthemed heavy-duty plastic tray. Children show high levels of confidence in social situations. They enjoy socialising and engage well with their peers, including unfamiliar adults. They behave very well at the nursery. They are considerate towards each other and respond to adult's requests well. They show they know the routines of the day and listen carefully during group activities. Staff are good role models and have high expectations. They reinforce the use of manners, reminding children to say 'please' and 'thank you'.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop teaching to provide the right level of challenge for all the children's different stages of development n build staff's understanding of the importance of using children's home languages and extend their confidence in explaining this to parents.
- 18 October 2022Good
- 5 December 2016Good
- 5 December 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Lighthouse Day Nursery
- 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.