Mains House Nursery

West Lane, Chester le Street DH3 3HL
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Top 20 award
9.8 34 Reviews
  • Mains House Nursery, Chester le Street
Mains House Nursery in Durham is 'child-centred' with activities planned around the children’s interests so that they really engage with all the activities and opportunities available.

Staff hope every child in their care develops a real love of learning.

All of the nursery's early years practitioners are qualified to at least Level 3 in Childcare, and all hold a Paediatric First Aid Certificate.

Staff support parents with advice and guidance.

The nursery offers funded play and learn sessions for eligible two year olds and nursery education grant places for three and four year olds of 15 and 30 hours.
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Funding & Fees

Fees from 1st April 2025 are:
Under 2s £81 per day, £44 per half day,
Over 2s £77 per day, £41 per half day.

For more information on the government funding please contact us.

Contact Mains House Nursery to get a personalised quote.

Contact Mains House Nursery to get a personalised quote.

Type of Service

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

Owner

  • Blue Sky Childcare Ltd
  • Privately Owned

Person in Charge

  • Connie Henderson & Leanne Crone (Nursery Managers)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 18

Total Places for Children

  • 36

Age Range

  • from 3 years 2 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 & 1 week at Christmas

Parking

  • They are conveniently located next to a pay and display car park and have a small buggy store for parents and carers who choose to walk to nursery.

Mains House Nursery Reviews (34)

9.8

Mains House Nursery has a Review Score of 9.8 (9.844) out of 10, based on 14 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Mains House Nursery has 34 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Total of 34, showing 1-20
Review from C M (Mother of Child) published on 4 March 2026 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child loves going to this nursery. The staff are brilliant creating a warm and welcoming environment. My child has flourished with the support and help from the staff from potty training, speech development and pre school development. I would recommend this nursery to anyone looking for this kind
of environment for their child.
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Review from C N (Father of Child) published on 3 March 2026 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We've became really friendly with all the staff who treat our boy like their own. He always looks forward to seeing everyone, and tells us all about the activities such as swimming. He's came on leaps and bounds, couldn't recommend more.
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Review from Heather T (Mother of Child) published on 24 February 2026 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Mains House is a fantastic, supportive nursery. The staff are great - they genuinely care about each child, and they communicate clearly with parents. Where I have needed reassurance or information, they have been able to provide this quickly and effectively. My son enjoys going to nursery and loves
the range of activities and the food! He has an allergy and Mains House caters for this, which allows him to enjoy all of the options available. Mains House gives regular updates and Golden Moments for children. It's delightful to see what the children do and how much they love the activities provided.
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Review from Laura S (Mother of Child) published on 20 February 2026 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter loves going to mains house nursery, looking at the updates and pictures of what they do through the day, it's educational and very fun! Every report i have had is exactly how I would describe my daughter which shows how comfortable she is and how well they know her.
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Review from Laura A (Mother of Child) published on 26 August 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
What a fantastic nursery! I have felt happy with the choice of nursery from day 1! All of the staff are lovely and know my child inside out! They have supported us through so many times as a family including potty training, allergies and introduction of a sibling. I cant thank them enough for what they
have done for us and I cant wait for my next child to start their journey there too
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Review from Charlotte C (Mother of Child) published on 30 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I've had all 4 of my children attend this nursery and the staff are lovely. The dinners look great and the kids always ate it all. They brought the children on leaps and bounds. I definitely do recommend to anyone to go to mains house. Looking around it's clean there's lots for the children to do. Including
trips to the allotment and swimming baths. This month it came to an end for my last 2 sons as they are off to primary school come September. I will definitely be back if I have more children in future
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Review from Sophie B (Mother of Child) published on 8 January 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Always goes above and beyond for my son, always been in his corner when getting support. Keeps an eye on his health with having health conditions. All staff are really friendly and welcoming, always there for a chat at pickup/drop off as well. Lots of room in classrooms, lots of a variety of activities.
Menus change per week so kids don't get bored and they supply alternatives for allergies too, and dietary preferences.
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Review from Charlotte Y (Mother of Child) published on 8 January 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our little boy started at Mains House in September and I don't have a single bad word to say about our experience so far. He has come on leaps and bounds even just going 1.5 days a week, his speech has developed rapidly, he was a good talker to start with but he's really come on since starting. He's
more confident around others and he now absolutely loves going to nursery. It's so nice to see that every single member of staff genuinely cares about all the children, even ones who aren't their key worker or even usually in the same room as them. It's been a wonderful experience so far and look forward to watching him continue to thrive with the help of Mains House. Thank you.
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Review from Miriam M (Mother of Child) published on 8 January 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Mains House is an amazing nursery. The staff go above and beyond and really make the children feel safe and comfortable. They do lots of enrichment activities such as swimming and visiting the allotment. They are a warm and supportive place.
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Review from Chelsea B (Mother of Child) published on 8 January 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Lovely ran nursery, staff are amazing, with my little one always coming home so happy... very detailed app updates of what she has been getting up to on a day-to-day basis. I would highly recommend, my daughter is very happy there.
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Review from M C (Mother of Child) published on 8 January 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Since my first visit to the nursery myself and my daughter were made extremely welcome and staff listened to concerns I had over my little one's development and instantly reassured me they could meet her needs and they have and continue to exceed in helping her flourish. The nursery staff have impressed
me in a short few months already. All members of staff are welcoming and you can see how important every child is to them. I look forward to my little one continuing to grow and flourish in the Mains House setting and recommend highly.
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Review from Liam P (Father of Child) published on 24 July 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This is our son's last year at the nursery he has loved being here. He has come on so much over the 4 years. The nursery staff have been amazing, always letting us know if our son has had a difficult day or if he's a a good day. He just had his graduation day. I could see how happy he was and this is
all down to the staff at the nursery.
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Review from Joanne H (Grandmother of Child) published on 23 July 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Mains House Nursery has been a home from home for my granddaughter since she was six months old. My granddaughter has always loved going and skips into nursery every morning. The staff go above and beyond to make sure my granddaughter is well cared for, well fed and most of all nurtured to become her
very best self. I am so pleased I chose Mains House Nursery to give my little one the best start in life and would have no doubts recommending here to anyone. An amazing nursery, full of amazing people. Thank you to everyone at Mains House Nursery.
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Review from Jennifer W (Mother of Child) published on 23 July 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This is our second time with Mains House being our nursery of choice. We've had a great time within the nursery. They have supported both my sons with knowledge and kindness. We've enjoyed trips to the allotment, storey trips, fun activities and memories to look back on. Brilliant nursery and lovely
staff.
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Review from L T (Mother of Child) published on 10 January 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fabulous nursery! Always great communication from staff and always kept up to date with what's going on. My daughter loves to go, and her language and speech have improved so much since we started going. She loves it!
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Review from Laura D (Mother of Child) published on 3 January 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I've now got my third child at Mains House Nursery and I wouldn't have wanted her to go anywhere else. The staff and management really go above and beyond. My boys flourished here and now, after one term, my daughter is doing the same. Great nursery and well done to all at Mains House, you are amazing.
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Review from P H (Mother of Child) published on 2 January 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My 4-year-old has been attending this nursery since she turned 2 years and she absolutely loves it!
The staff are so involved and you can tell they truly care for each and every child who attends their nursery. My little girl has developed so much since starting here and her confidence is amazing
now. She has a very strong bond with each of the staff and knows she can always go to them if she has a problem, she has made amazing friendships with different age groups within the nursery too.
The staff go above and beyond to make sure each child has a large variety of activities and trips out of the nursery to do different things, the good selection is phenomenal and at each pick up they give a full review of what has happened throughout your child’s time there.
I couldn’t recommend a nursery more than this one and wouldn’t send my little girl to any other nursery around the Chester-Le Street area.
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Review from K H (Mother of Child) published on 27 December 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic nursery and brilliant for breakfast and after school club. Very friendly staff who are professional and polite. I feel safe in knowing my children are taken care of by this nursery. Welcoming venue which is safe and staff are always so supportive and caring. My children are always happy when
they are going to breakfast or finishing after school club and they always say how great their time there was.
This nursery is really a home-from-home. I cannot recommend them enough.
Many thanks from the heart for all your hard work, love, dedication, patience to my children, and for keeping personal belongings in order (toys, clothes), helping with potty/toilet training in the past, caring when they were not feeling well, making every day a fun environment to go to which was also very important. Also I've noticed at school pick up at the local school, how friendly and professional the staff are when collecting the children. The nursery staff take a genuine interest.
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Review from Emily L (Mother of Child) published on 8 November 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has attended Mains House for over 2 years now and we have been so happy with the care they have provided. There is a lovely family feeling to the nursery where all of the staff know him so well and are really friendly and supportive. He has loved all of his key workers and they have supported
his development in so many different ways helping to meet his goals. They also go above and beyond to create experiences that the children enjoy: my son has loved his visits to the allotment and Forest School in all weathers! They also picked up on a speech delay and implemented a program of support to quickly help him catch up.
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Review from Natalie C (Mother of Child) published on 8 November 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We use the nursery for out-of-school club and holiday childcare needs. My little girl loves it so much. When half term arrives we have had tears as she misses staff members so much. She has made good friends with the children and adores the staff. It puts your mind at ease knowing your child is in a
fun, caring and loving environment. I really can't recommend Mains House Nursery enough. Wonderful staff, loving environment and healthy meals for your child. What more could you ask for?
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Current Review Score: 9.8 (9.844)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.8 (9.844) out of 10 for Mains House Nursery is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 14 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.9 out of 5 from 14 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.994 for Mains House Nursery is calculated as follows: ( (166 Excellents x 5) + (1 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 167 Ratings = 4.994
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 4.85 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Mains House Nursery is based on 14 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 20 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews, 0.05 Points for the next five Positive Reviews, and finally 0.025 Points for the next ten Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.050, 7th = 0.050, 8th = 0.050, 9th = 0.050, 10th = 0.050, 11th = 0.025, 12th = 0.025, 13th = 0.025, 14th = 0.025, 15th = 0.025, 16th = 0.025, 17th = 0.025, 18th = 0.025, 19th = 0.025, 20th = 0.025) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 = 3.85
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 36 number of registered child places is 7.2, which has been reached with 14 Positive reviews. Points = 1
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (3)

Meet the Team (3)

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Connie Henderson

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2008

Connie has worked with us for 15 years now and has a BA Hons in Early Childhood Studies.

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Lynsey Roy

Job Title: Director Joined: 2018

Lynsey took over the nursery in 2018 and is also a qualified teacher.

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Leanne Crone

Job Title: Nursery Operations Manager Joined: 2008

I am Leanne, I have worked here for over 15 years now and have a BA Hons in Childhood Studies and Education.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mains House Nursery

What is the Age Range of Children that Mains House Nursery accepts?

Mains House Nursery accepts Children aged from 3 years 2 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Mains House Nursery Open?

Mains House Nursery 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 Mains House Nursery have capacity for?

Mains House Nursery has capacity for a total of 36 Children.

How far is Mains House Nursery to the centre of Chester le Street?

0.2 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 Mains House Nursery to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Mains House Nursery has an Enhanced Service - more info.