Lowson Street Pre-School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Darlington for children from birth to 5, open sessions in term time, often mornings. £26.00 a day for 2 and 3 year olds, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2022. Open since 1999, with 30 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Full day | Session | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 and 3 year olds2y to 3y | £26.00per full day | £12.00per (morning or afternoon) | |
| All ages | – | £12.00per full 3 hour, 3 hrs |
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
Free 15 hour funded places for eligible two years olds and free 30 hour funded places for eligible three year olds.
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
DL3 0EYWhat 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 November 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff have a wonderful rapport with children at this very friendly and welcoming setting. Children are happy, settled and secure. They form close bonds with staff, who are very caring, respectful and kind. Settling-in sessions for new children and parents are flexible to meet individual needs and new children settle quickly.
Children learn to share as they explore with dough and oats as part of an activity.
They take turns as they play with jigsaws, trains and small-world figures. Staff explain gently to children the reasons for unwanted behaviour and the impact of their actions. They encourage children to play well together and be kind to their friends.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide more time for children to respond to more detailed questions, to develop their language further n reduce distractions at the beginning of small-group sessions, in order to settle children and support them to listen.
- 22 November 2022Good
- 23 November 2016Good
- 18 September 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Lowson Street Pre-School
- Youngest age taken
- 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.
- Is £26.00 a day still the rate? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.