The Barn Childcare
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Stockton on Tees for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 July 2023. Open since 2015, with 87 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 Stockton-on-Tees
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Stockton-on-Tees 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
TS18 5EPWhat 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, 10 July 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at this nursery with smiles on their faces. Relationships between staff and children are strong. Staff care deeply about every child and want the best for them. They know the children well, which enables them to be responsive to children's interests and make sure that children's needs are fully understood and met.
Children love taking part in the stimulating and exciting activities. Babies explore sponges filled with soap. They poke and squeeze the sponge with their fingers as they make sense of the world around them. Older children are confident and articulate when expressing their thoughts and ideas to others. They develop curiosity, and staff encourage them to show great creativity in their play. For example, children join in with, and come up with, many games with the extensive range of resources. They have fun learning how to look after and water the plants in the allotment area. They care for wildlife and recall how bees collect pollen to make honey.
Children behave well and develop friendships with one another. Staff working with babies are especially mindful of each child's immediate personal and emotional needs. They use smiles, praise and cuddles to reassure babies and build really strong bonds with them. Babies and toddlers show that they are incredibly settled and secure at nursery.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: - help staff to support children to develop their understanding and selfmanagement in taking turns, to extend children's independence and confidence even further n ensure consistency in staff's knowledge and understanding by having a clearer oversight of the impact of training undertaken.
- 10 July 2023Good
- 12 September 2019Good
- 8 October 2018Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Barn Childcare
- 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.