Sadberge Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Sadberge for children from birth to 5, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2022. Open since 2004, with 21 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
DL2 1SWWhat 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, 4 March 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children happily enter the pre-school and excitedly participate in the activities on offer. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents no longer enter the pre-school room. That said, children are very confident and leave their parents with ease.
Children practise their early literacy skills as they identify their names on coloured pegs and register themselves on arrival. Older children write their names and shopping lists independently. Staff know their key children very well and understand their learning needs. They have high expectations of how children behave and of what they can do and achieve. Children behave extremely well.
They have high levels of respect for each other. Older children show care and compassion for their younger peers. They sit and use puppets and props to tell familiar stories to younger children.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the implementation of large-group activities to ensure that all children are appropriately supported to develop their learning even further.
- 4 March 2022Good
- 13 September 2016Outstanding
- 1 July 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Sadberge Pre-School
- 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.