Little Meadows Nursery
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open a few years
A day nursery in Barnard Castle for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2025. Open since 2023, with 48 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
DL12 8XTWhat 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, 22 July 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and settled in this welcoming nursery. As children arrive at the nursery, they are greeted warmly by kind and caring staff. Staff build positive relationships with children, helping them to separate from their parents with ease and begin their day. Children form attachments to their key person quickly, which helps them to feel safe and secure.
Staff help children to learn about good behaviours, such as sharing and turntaking. For example, staff encourage toddlers to take turns with equipment. Staff provide various opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. The spacious outdoor area gives children opportunities to run, climb and explore. Staff support children to develop their small-muscle skills as they paint with a variety of brushes, build with blocks and throw hoops. Older children squeeze spray bottles and thread with laces. This helps to develop the skills needed for early writing.
Staff nurture children's curiosity. For instance, children explore fruit and flowers in the mud kitchen. Staff extend children's learning by introducing words, such as
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to fully embed the recently developed assessment procedures to further raise children's achievements n minimise unnecessary background noise to support children's concentration and prevent them from becoming distracted in their learning.
- 22 July 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 30 September 2024Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 1 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Meadows Nursery
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? 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.