Little Gems of The Sea
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Whitley Bay for children from birth to 5, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 December 2022. Open since 2010, with 24 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 North Tyneside
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in North Tyneside 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
NE25 9EGWhat 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, 21 December 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thrive in this caring nursery, where children and families are treated as one big family. Staff recognise that every child is special in their own right and the ethos of the nursery builds on this. Children are very happy in the nursery. They develop a good relationship with their key person and other staff. For example, three-year-old children thoroughly enjoy playing with shaving foam. They laugh and giggle as they clap hands together to cover their key person with foam.
Parents say their children are very happy in the nursery. They feel that staff are very caring and approachable. Children are safe in the nursery. Staff supervise them well as they move around the nursery or go outside into the yard.
Staff have high expectations for children's learning. For example, they place a strong focus on developing children's literacy skills. Children develop a love of books. Older children enjoy picking books for staff to read. Staff read stories with good expression. Children listen with enthusiasm. Older children talk about the illustrations and join with key words and phrases. Children behave well. They respond quickly when staff remind them of their expectations. This is evident when they quickly get down off chairs when staff remind them.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- ensure that children are able to maintain high levels of concentration, particularly at group times n review the curriculum for physical development to make sure that older children's skills continue to develop.
- 21 December 2022Good
- 11 May 2017Good
- 13 May 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Gems of The Sea
- 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.