Maidendale Nursery
Good★ 3.8 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Darlington for children from birth to 8+, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 June 2023. Open since 2007, with 72 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 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
DL1 4SUWhat 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, 14 June 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are excited as they enter this exceptionally well-resourced, caring and nurturing environment. Children of all ages and abilities show the highest levels of confidence and self-esteem as they immediately settle in. They are eager for their day to begin, which demonstrates how extremely safe and secure they feel in the nursery.
Older children show remarkable levels of problem-solving skills for their very young ages. For example, children are engrossed in scooping sand. They work out for themselves to extend this activity by removing their socks and using them as containers. Children's faces show intense concentration as they think through how to hold the socks with their fingers and fill them with sand at the same time.
Children relish the learning opportunities in the outdoor environment. Babies learn to negotiate inclines and manoeuvre themselves around children and resources.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to be consistent in developing children's mathematical understanding, particularly children's understanding of numbers and counting.
- 14 June 2023Good
- 23 November 2017Good
- 27 April 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Maidendale 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.