Playdays Nursery
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Newton Aycliffe for babies from a few weeks old up to 5 year olds, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. £70.00 a day, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2025. Open since 2024, with 54 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
51 weeks a year.
| Age | Full day | Session | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | £70.00 | £40.00Half Day | £11.00 |
Before you start
One-off charges to take a place.
- £30.00 Registration (non-refundable) Includes Free Nursery Polonot refundable, includes Free Nursery Polo Shirt
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £10.00 per 15 minutes Late Collection After 6pm
- £15.00 Late Payment (after 7th each month)
- £25.00 Returned cheques
What a funded hour still costs
Funded hours cover the childcare. These are charged alongside them.
- £5.50 a day Full Day Snacks and Mealschildren attending funded hours only
Discounts
- 10% 10% sibling discountmore than one child attending per family
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
Up to 30 hours free childcare under the Government funded scheme for all 0-5 year olds.
Worth knowing. Meals and snacks are chargeable for funded sessions / days.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
DL5 5HHWhat 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, 11 April 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children show enjoyment in activities indoors and outdoors. Staff build close relationships with them and help them to feel safe, settled and secure. Staff are kind, caring and nurturing. They regularly check on how children are feeling and respond to their needs. Children develop confidence and good levels of selfesteem. Their behaviour is positive, and staff focus on helping them to regulate their emotions. The curriculum is based on children's interests, and staff teach them through their play. Children stay engaged in experiences for extended lengths of time and benefit as staff know how to challenge and extend their learning.
Leaders and staff work closely together to maintain effective partnership working with parents and other professionals. They use assessments to identify potential gaps in children's learning and experiences. This helps them to plan to close the gaps and make necessary referrals to other professionals, such as speech and language therapists. Children are well-prepared to start school and have secure foundations for future learning. Parents are very happy with the nursery and leave positive feedback for the manager and staff team. They feel their children have made excellent progress, particularly in their speech and social skills.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- focus staff's teaching during children's self-chosen play to consistently help children make progress towards their individual learning goals n reflect on the menu on offer for children and implement changes to ensure children are provided with healthy food choices each mealtime.
- 11 April 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
Still missing for Playdays Nursery
- 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 £70.00 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.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.