Sunshine Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Boldon Colliery for children from birth to 8+, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2023. Open since 1997, with 24 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 South Tyneside
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in South Tyneside 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
NE35 9DSWhat 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.
- 31 October 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 16 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff want children to 'laugh, learn and make friends'. Children bound along the corridor on arrival, showing how happy they are to join their friends. They quickly settle at activities, showing confidence and curiosity during their play. Younger children develop good attention skills while listening to stories. Older children show good problem-solving skills. For example, they decide they need tape to hold together a castle they build. All children benefit from plenty of outdoor play and learn about the world around them. They watch aeroplanes and talk about where they might land. They examine flowers and learn new words, such as 'petals' and
The new manager has ambitious plans for the playgroup. She has managed recent changes in staff well, ensuring continuity for children and reassurance for parents.
Her clear vision contributes to the strong capacity for continuous development and ongoing improvements to children's already good outcomes. Staff have high expectations for all children and, generally, support their learning well. Warm relationships between staff and children help children to develop a strong sense of belonging. Children show that they feel safe, secure and are ready to learn. Staff teach children about kindness and respect, which contributes to their good behaviour.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- ensure that teaching consistently matches all children's learning needs more precisely, and raise their achievements even further n strengthen the arrangements for staff's supervision, support and professional development, to help them to further develop their skills and knowledge to even higher levels.
- 16 January 2023Good
- 27 April 2017Good
- 8 January 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Sunshine 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.