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Kids Planet High Bank

Cleasby Road, Stapleton, Darlington DL2 2QE
Kids Planet Day Nurseries Logo
Kids Planet High Bank logo
Kids Planet High Bank, Darlington
Kids Planet High Bank, Darlington
Kids Planet High Bank, Darlington

Kids Planet High Bank is an Ofsted rated 'outstanding' nursery (September 2016) situated on a working farm in the village of Stapleton, near the town of Darlington. Nursery care is provided for children aged six weeks to five years old.

The nursery is divided into four main rooms, all of which are designed to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. An extended pre-school room, known as The Curiosity...  

Funding & Fees

Various funding accepted (15 and 30 hours). We offer . Sibling discount, NHS discount, Tax Free Childcare. Rates vary by location/nursery setting.

Please get in touch with the nursery for our most up to date fees and availability.

Contact Kids Planet High Bank to get a personalised quote:

Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Care

Group/Owner

Person in charge

  • Katie England (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 27

Total Places for Children

  • 140

Age Range

  • from 0 years 3 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:00
  • Tuesday 07:30-18:00
  • Wednesday 07:30-18:00
  • Thursday 07:30-18:00
  • Friday 07:30-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Kids Planet High Bank Reviews (92)

9.2

Kids Planet High Bank has a Review Score of 9.2 (9.167) out of 10, based on 12 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Kids Planet High Bank has 92 reviews.

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Showing 92 reviews matching selected criteria
Review from Emma S (Mother of Child) published on 2 June 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
My little girl has been attending High bank since she was about 9 months old and is currently 2 years 2 months, she has been in three rooms across her time and each room has been fabulous. The staff are just the loveliest, hardest working bunch. The effort they put in to creating a fun, friendly environment with endless learning opportunities is second to none. My daughter has come on leaps and bounds in this nursery, and she will be remaining here until school age. As a mother with older kids who have attended around 5 nurseries between them across the local area, this is miles above and my little one literally runs in every morning.
Set in the countryside, visiting the farm animals in nursery time and before and after with us is a highlight for all of the family and we look forward to seeing them every day!

The food is fresh and home cooked and having tasted it personally I can see why my daughter always has seconds. Highly, highly reccomend.

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Review from L S (Mother of Child) published on 2 April 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

My little boy recently started at Kids Planet High Bank in the babies room and I have been impressed with the facility so far. He settled in really quickly and the staff are really kind and caring, taking the time to get to know him and make sure he is happy and having fun. I love the outdoor space and there's always some fun activity going on to ensure he is learning and developing. I'm really looking forward to watching him grow at High Bank.

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Review from A R (Mother of Child) published on 17 March 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

I couldn't shout it louder how good kids planet high bank is !

Our daughter Gabriella joined when she was 1 Gabriella has SEND and all I can say from day one they have gone above and beyond to help her get all the extra help she needs from services etc

All the staff that has ever been involved with Gabriella has made her feel included & also understand her needs

Big thank you to all the management and staff that has helped Gabriella she loves high bank and is always excited to go and we couldn't ask for anything more

Thank you high bank team

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Review from Georgia G (Mother of Child) published on 6 February 2026 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience
Both of my children attend High Bank and have since age 9 month old. I wish they could stay until 16 yrs. The staff are amazing the grounds are beautiful and the learning is excellent, children love their days at nursery, and have been well learned and prepared for school, from academic learning to talk training getting dressed + being independant.

I would like to just add the staff are exceptional, caring.

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Review from S R (Mother of Child) published on 3 February 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

We couldn't be happier with high bank nursery and the care our child receives. Since starting here in 2024, our child has grown so much in confidence, independence, and social skills. The progress we've seen has been amazing, and it's clear how thoughtfully the team supports each child's individual development.

The staff do a wonderful job of teaching key skills through fun, engaging activities, and the nursery places a strong emphasis on outdoor learning. The udeskole approach and the many opportunities to be outside have been fantastic for our child's development, encouraging curiosity, resilience, and a real love for learning in nature.

Our child settled in extremely well and is always happy and eager to attend, which is very reassuring for us as parents. The nursery provides a nurturing, safe, and stimulating environment, with excellent communication and a truly dedicated team all staff go a. We would highly recommend this nursery to any family. We have our son joining this year.

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Review from Lauren H (Mother of Child) published on 22 January 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

We have always been incredibly impressed with the provision offered at High Bank. Since joining in the babies all the way through to the toddlers room I have always felt supported as a parent and that the staff genuinely care about the children. Our son has come out of his shell, is so confident and loves going to nursery. I can't recommend high bank enough!

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Review from Lynsey W (Mother of Child) published on 22 January 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
Fantastic nursery, lovely down to earth staff that clearly have a genuine care for the children.
My daughter loves her time there and I know she is safe and happy in their care. I love the outdoor space the nursery has and makes use of all year round.

Communication is good.

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Review from S M (Mother of Child) published on 19 January 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
My child has attended High Bank since he was 15 months old and has always been very happy there. Since High Bank was taken over by Kids Planet there has been a significant improvement in the communication between staff and parents and the facilities/equipment have improved a great deal too. They follow a forest school ethos and spend as much time as possible exploring the natural environment. The outdoor facilities are brilliant and the indoor spaces are also great for rainy days.

My son is loving the weekly football and French lessons as well as visiting the animals on the farm and the recent addition of the tipi preschool classroom. I highly recommend this nursery/preschool.

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Review from Elliot E (Father of Child) published on 2 October 2025 Submitted via Website
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My two girls have settled so well into this nursery.
Nothing is too much trouble. We love the family app to see what they get up to.
Thank you to all the staff for being so calm, caring and making everyday so exciting for my little girls.

On pick up I get lots of detail of their day and we see photos on the app.

Thank you for your amazing care!

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Review from R M (Mother of Child) published on 14 March 2025 Submitted via Postal Card
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High Bank Nursery have been amazing in every aspect since my son began attending. The staff go above and beyond to ensure the children are happy, cared for and most importantly, having fun! My son has developed so much since attending and I am so proud of the progress he has made in such a short time.

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Review from Catherine H (Mother of Child) published on 11 March 2025 Submitted via Website
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The nursery is a warm and welcoming environment for babies and young children to come to.
Daughter transitioned into the next room really well.
Really good hand overs from staff in the rooms

Very flexible in changing days .

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Review from Tom T (Father of Child) published on 10 January 2025 Submitted via Postal Card
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We're very pleased with our decision to send our child to Kids Planet High Bank. It wasn't smooth at the start, she was quite emotional in the baby room but she has thrived since. It has brought her on so much and the staff have all been brilliant. We can't speak highly enough of the staff. We love hearing about all of the activities the children get up to. The only things that could be improved that we can think of are, the app which is being changed and some times we don't hear back about potentially swapping days.

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Review from Hazel L (Mother of Child) published on 29 July 2023 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
My 3 year old has been attending High Bank Nursery since 2021, my 10 month old started in June this year.

I wanted to write a new review as I am so impressed with the team in the babies room and how well my son has settled. He was such a clingy baby, stuck to me like glue and wouldn't go to anyone else or play independently. The first 2 weeks were pretty rough, there were a lot of tears (from both of us!) but he's been there about 6 weeks now and the change in him is amazing. He seems to absolutely love nursery, goes to the staff quite happily and is all smiles when I drop him off and pick him up. He's completely transformed at home too, he'll go to people other than me and he's so confident now. Crawls all over the house exploring and happily plays by himself. It's a joy to see how much he's come on. Credit to the staff who are all lovely and seem to genuinely care. Makes the return to work that little bit less painful when you know he's happy, well cared for, having fun and learning lots!

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Review from Kirsty A (Mother of Child) published on 3 April 2023 Submitted via Website
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I couldn’t be happier with High Bank Nursery for my little girl. It’s in fantastic surroundings and the staff are wonderful and so welcoming.
My little girl started in baby class in March and has settled in very quickly.
I love the app as it lets you know nap times and how/what she’s eaten during the day. The staff are always extremely friendly and supportive.

I can’t wait to see her grow and develop at the nursery.

Reply from Angela Thomas, at Kids Planet High Bank

Thank you so much for your lovely feedback. I will pass your comments on to the staff team. They will be really pleased.

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Review from J B (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2023 Submitted via Website
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We could not be happier with High Bank Nursery. It is the most nurturing and unique setting for children to grow and develop. As a parent who has had many years experience in Early Years Settings, I have yet to find one that beats High Bank. The management and staff always put the children first in everything they plan for and the resources and experiences that are available for the children are second to none. The extras such as French, Sing and Sign, and football are all included in the fees, which you just do not get anywhere else. The children get a lovely two course lunch every day which is home cooked by their own nursery chef. The food is fresh and healthy with meat sourced locally and fresh eggs every day from the nursery farm.

Thank you team High Bank - you're all amazing!

Reply from Angela Thomas, at Kids Planet High Bank

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such an amazing review of the nursery; we are delighted you are so happy with High Bank.

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Review from K M (Mother of Child) published on 9 February 2023 Submitted via Website
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What a wonderful nursery. Our little girl goes here and has done since September. I was so anxious about her starting, especially as she was funny with taking a bottle, but they have been amazing at adapting things for my little girl and at easing my worries as well.
I haven't had a single problem or concern with anything that they do; the staff are lovely, and they are like a little family, which makes the environment that little bit more special.

When we drop our little girl off, she literally has the biggest grin on her face and can't wait to see the wonderful staff there. Would definitely recommend this nursery.

Reply from Zara Watkinson, at Kids Planet High Bank

Thank you so much for this lovely review of the nursery; we are delighted you are so happy with High Bank.

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Review from Hayley K (Mother of Child) published on 7 September 2022 Submitted via Website
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What a lovely nursery. My little boy absolutely loves coming here and I love seeing all his adventures on the app and social media. When I pick him up he has the biggest smile on his face and goes round giving the practitioners big hugs before he leaves, he even says in the car on the way home 'no home, nursery mama'.

Fantastic nursery would highly recommend.

Reply from Zara Watkinson, at Kids Planet High Bank

Hi Hayley, what an amazing review, thank you we really appreciate it.

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Review from A W (Mother of Child) published on 25 April 2022 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
My little girl has been at the nursery for almost a year. They have catered well to her special dietary requirements and medical needs and as I have updated any changes, these have been implemented straight away.
The staff have always been friendly and passed on any information at the door when dropping off or collecting my daughter, along with messages on the app and email.
When I have had any concerns, I have been able to speak to staff and managers (who are always accessible through email) and my concerns have been sorted promptly.
I would recommend this nursery to all my family and friends and I’m looking forward to the rest of the time that my little girl attends High Bank.

Keep up the fantastic work and thank you for all you do.

Reply from Zara Watkinson, at Kids Planet High Bank

Thank you for the lovely review! Much appreciated.

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Review from A M (Mother of Child) published on 12 April 2022 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

One of a kind outdoor space on a working farm, which is utilised to maximum potential. The children are encouraged to learn by playing and exploring, and even get to help feed the animals and collect eggs sometimes. The staff have really genuine connections with the children and my son is always talking about his 2 favourite practitioners at home. I like that their social media page is always being updated with photos and updates of what they are up to and it’s nice to be able to read the bios of the staff who look after my child on the nurseries website. Staff always take the time to talk to me about my child when I drop him off and collect as well. 5 stars probably aren’t enough but it’s the best I can give.

Reply from Zara Watkinson, at Kids Planet High Bank

Thank you for your lovely review, much appreciated.

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Review from K L (Mother of Child) published on 12 April 2022 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
High Bank Nursery is a wonderful nursery, my two children absolutely love attending the nursery.
The nursery has many different activities which they both thoroughly enjoy.

The staff are brilliant and really care for each child's individual needs.

Reply from Zara Watkinson, at Kids Planet High Bank

Thank you for your lovely review, much appreciated.

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Child Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

News (1) & Events (0)

News
  • Posted: Tuesday 10 Sep 2024We are proud to announce that Kids Planet has been recognised as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces in Education & Training 2024 by Great Place To Work UK! This...
Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events for Kids Planet High Bank.

Awards / Recognitions (14)

Meet the Team (1)

Katie England Job Title: Nursery Manager
Katie England

I have over 10 years’ experience in early years, which covers all age groups 0-5 years. I am a level 3 childcare educator and a level 5 in Leadership and Management, specialising in childcare education. I am passionate about outdoor learning and environments to support children's mental health and well-being.

My role as the manager is to support and inspire the staff, families, and children to settle and flourish in a loving and exciting environment, building strong bonds, imagination, and curiosity through learning.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kids Planet High Bank

What is the Age Range of Children that Kids Planet High Bank accepts?

Kids Planet High Bank accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Kids Planet High Bank Open?

Kids Planet High Bank is open: Monday 07:30-18:00, Tuesday 07:30-18:00, Wednesday 07:30-18:00, Thursday 07:30-18:00, Friday 07:30-18:00.

How many Children does Kids Planet High Bank have capacity for?

Kids Planet High Bank has capacity for a total of 140 Children.

How far is Kids Planet High Bank to the centre of Darlington?

2.3 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Kids Planet High Bank to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Kids Planet High Bank has an Enhanced Service - more info.