Barnwell Daycare

Barnwell Academy, Whitefield Estate, Penshaw, Houghton le Spring DH4 7RT
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Top 20 award
10 58 Reviews
  • Barnwell Daycare, Houghton le Spring
Barnwell Daycare is situated in the Monument Centre at Barnwell Academy and was rated Outstanding by Ofsted in July 2016 and November 2021.

The daycare provision is part of the Academy which is run by the school Governors.

Barnwell Daycare offers high-quality childcare in purpose-built surroundings. They can provide care for babies and children up to five years old.
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Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Ashley Emmerson (Trust CEO)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 12

Total Places for Children

  • 36

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • Wraparound care (1 hour extra): £6:00
    Late Fee: £6.45

  • Children are eligible to join the nursery from birth. We accept all childcare vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare.


    30 hour funding for working parents is available for parents who meet the eligibility criteria. To find out if you are eligible and apply for the working parents funding you will need to visit the Government website Best Start In Life and apply through your HMRC childcare portal.


    15 hour funding for 2 year olds is available for families in receipt of certain benefits.


    15 hour universal funding is available to all children 3 and 4 years which starts in the term after their third birthday.


    For extra sessions please visit our Daycare Admission and Fees page on our website.

Opening Times

  • Monday 08:00-18:00
    Tuesday 08:00-18:00
    Wednesday 08:00-18:00
    Thursday 08:00-18:00
    Friday 08:00-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays

Parking

  • They have on-site parking.

Barnwell Daycare Reviews (58)

10

Barnwell Daycare has a Review Score of 10 (9.990) out of 10, based on 17 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Barnwell Daycare has 58 reviews.

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Total of 58, showing 1-20
Review from Y S (Mother of Child) published on 15 October 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Barnwell has been an amazing place for our son. The staff are professional, kind, positive and reliable. The large, well-organised and beautiful classrooms, garden, sports hall and sensory room stimulate children's various interests in nature, physical activities, arts, stories, music, science and cooking.
Every corner of these rooms is made comfortable, so they can focus on whatever they want to explore. The daily activities are well thought out and prepared, offering a great balance of group and individual activities. The staff pay close attention to my son's development and provide lots of helpful suggestions. I could talk to them about any minor concerns. My son's verbal, social and physical skills, as well as his creativity and imagination, have developed tremendously. He has also learnt to be kind and understanding, to collaborate with other children, and has become more confident and independent. I cannot express how much I appreciate the wonderful staff team. Thank you so much!
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Review from Rachel T (Mother of Child) published on 18 September 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Barnwell daycare delivers outstanding care and education!
I cannot sing the praises of Barnwell Daycare enough. My daughter has had THE best start to her educational development from the care given by Barnwell. All of the staff go above and beyond, they truly care about the children within daycare.
They are a great support to parents with toilet training, and are very welcoming with educational and stay & play sessions. The bed time stories sessions for book week, have been amazing. Teams sessions to give parents an understanding on phonics have been incredible, it's important for us parents to have an understanding to support the children with the same learning techniques as daycare.
They honestly exceed expectations.
As a family we are pleased we have had the opportunity to have Barnwell Daycare be an integral role at the beginning of our daughters school journey, it's been a pleasure to see her look forward to attend each day. She has flourished massively with their input.
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Review from Ashlea H (Mother of Child) published on 15 August 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We couldn't be happier with this daycare. Communication is excellent, especially around workshops and activities tailored to our son's developmental needs. Staff and management are open, approachable, and always ready to discuss any concerns. Our son's progress has been incredible-his vocabulary, imagination,
singing, maths, and general knowledge have all flourished. The team puts so much thought into planning topics that run through a variety of activities, each with clear learning outcomes. The setting is lovely, with a rich outdoor area full of opportunities to explore nature, phonics, and social skills. The staff are warm, caring, and clearly dedicated to the children's growth. Best of all, our son is so happy to go in every day, which says it all. We honestly can't recommend this setting highly enough!
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Review from R P (Mother of Child) published on 12 August 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I couldn't recommend this daycare enough! They were absolutely amazing, so loving and caring also very helpful! My daughter had the best day everytime she went. Helped her massively with speech and coming out of her shy shell.
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Review from V M (Mother of Child) published on 25 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been at Barnwell Daycare for two and a half years. I cannot fault the staff or the facilities at all. Their attention to detail is second to none. Their compassion and knowledge is absolutely incredible. The staff make parents feel like part of their little family, which is such a unique
thing. I am grateful that they have been part of my this small (yet so impactful) chapter in my daughter's life.
My daughter is able to count confidently and will often have outbursts with even more numbers than we knew she could count to.
Recently she started using phonic's to spell ''mat' and was able to identify the word.
Their dedication and love of their job is evident. You'd be hard pressed to find any other nursery that comes close to this one. That is why I am hoping to send my second little girl to experience the love and care that my first has received.
It's a relief when you're at work knowing that the staff are looking after your child with so much love and care!
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Review from L W (Mother of Child) published on 25 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My Daughter Loved Her Time Through The Daycare & We Were Always Well Informed Of What She Ate & Did Throughout The Day. She Was Always Happy & Telling Me What She'd Learnt Throughout The Day, She Especially Loved The Pirate Days, Parties, Photographer Days She Took Really Well To All The Staff Aswell.
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Review from T H (Mother of Child) published on 25 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
When my son started daycare he was not great with communication, speaking and listening/following instructions. I will be forever thankful to Barnwell daycare for putting in time to help bring him along. Me and his dad are so proud!
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Review from Zoe O (Mother of Child) published on 25 July 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The nursery is very clean, the staff in each room are very friendly and approachable and we trust whole heartedly. The children have lots of opportunities to play indoors and outdoors with great facilities. The children have learned so much from being there and it's very sad that it is coming to end
however they have been set up perfectly to develop further.
Thank you so much for everything !
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Review from Cali S (Mother of Child) published on 18 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son attended Barnwell Daycare from when he was 10 months old until he was 3.
He has developed amazingly in that time. It was hard when he first started as he'd only been with family but the staff were so caring and professional and nurturing that he loved his time at Barnwell Daycare. He made lots
of friends and everyone was so welcoming to him, staff and children. It's a lovely environment. I would definitely recommend this nursery. I am so glad my son got the chance to thrive here.
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Review from Georgia B (Mother of Child) published on 13 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has attended Barnwell Daycare since she was 8 months old, she is now nearly 2. My son also went to the same daycare from 2019 until 2023. It is an outstanding nursery in all areas. My daughter has come on leaps and bounds in every aspect of her development. The staff are friendly and professional,
they go above and beyond and offer lots of support to parents too. My children both have loved coming here and I would highly recommend Barnwell Daycare to anyone!
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Review from Robyn P (Mother of Child) published on 11 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little boy has been at Barnwell Daycare since he was 7 months old! I can't praise the staff enough! They have loved, cared and nurtured him from the start of his journey. He is currently still on his nursery journey and I don't have a bad word to say! The nursery are always on hand to answer questions
and have a very open door policy with parents. My little boy loves going to nursery even after 6 weeks off! I wouldn't send him anywhere else.
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Review from Emily W (Mother of Child) published on 4 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My second child now attends Barnwell Daycare after I was so happy with my son's experiences. She has absolutely loved her time so far (started Feb 24) and always asks to go back, she always has a lovely day and can't wait to tell me all about it. The staff are so lovely here and make me feel at ease
having her on long days.
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Review from H B (Mother of Child) published on 4 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter absolutely loved attending Barnwell Daycare and will now be attending a local academy nursery starting September 2024. The daycare provided her with fun, exciting and educational growth that had made both me and her father so proud. She has come in so much since attending and I honestly
believe it's down to the staff who are all amazing and I thank you again. I can't wait for my youngest daughter to start attending April 2025.
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Review from E T (Mother of Child) published on 4 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Barnwell is an exceptional daycare, they make your child feel at home from day 1. They are always happy to see my children and they are in return, often running with open arms into daycare. They have a range of activities to stimulate and encourage development.
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Review from C T (Mother of Child) published on 4 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I couldn't recommend Barnwell Daycare enough. All staff are lovely and keep you updated on what the children have down throughout the day and what they have eaten etc through the online journal. the amazing staff has brought my kids out of their shell loads since been there and they have learnt so much
from them.
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Review from K L (Mother of Child) published on 4 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son attends Barnwell Daycare and absolutely loves it here. He has come on leaps and bounds since starting. All the staff are so friendly and can't help enough. The nursery is very clean and tidy with a lovely outdoor space for the children to run around in. Would 100% recommend this nursery.
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Review from Amy S (Mother of Child) published on 9 May 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A fantastic nursery! My daughter absolutely loves attending Barnwell Daycare and I feel confident that she is well looked after when she is there. The staff keep us well informed and we love to see what she’s been up to via the online portal. There are always lots of well-planned activities for the
children to take part in which keeps the days interesting and different for the children. We are so pleased we found this nursery!
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Review from A M (Mother of Child) published on 7 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Staff are all fantastic, and the nursery is amazing. My child’s development has improved massively, and she has come on great since starting. She loves all of the staff, and she is always excited to go to nursery!
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Review from Ambika R (Mother of Child) published on 7 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I can’t recommend Barnwell Daycare enough. They are an amazing facility and really care about the children they work with. My son started going when he was 9 months and is very well settled; he loves going in there. All the staff are amazing, friendly and very helpful.
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Review from L C (Mother of Child) published on 14 March 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff are fantastic, very caring, and approachable. I'm always kept up to date with my son's progress and achievements. Highly recommend this nursery.
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Current Review Score: 10.0 (9.990)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 10 (9.990) out of 10 for Barnwell Daycare 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 17 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 17 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 4.990 for Barnwell Daycare is calculated as follows: ( (201 Excellents x 5) + (2 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 203 Ratings = 4.99
  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 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Barnwell Daycare is based on 17 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 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4
    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 17 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 (8)

Meet the Team (13)

Kirsty

Kirsty Harding

Job Title: Daycare Leader Joined: 2009

Kirsty holds an Early Years Professional Status and a Degree (BA Hons) in Education & Curriculum Studies.
Kirsty is also the Designated Lead for Safeguarding and the SENCo (Special Needs Co-ordinator) here at Barnwell. She also holds a range of mandatory qualifications such as Paediatric First Aid and Food Safety.
Further areas of training include Leadership and Management; Managing Medication; Autism Spectrum Disorder training; Managing Behaviour and iCan (Communication training)

Ellis

Ellis Matthews

Job Title: Admin Officer Joined: 2025

If you have any queries about Barnwell Daycare or would like to arrange a visit please contact our friendly administrator Ellis who is always happy to help.

Julie

Julie Temple

Job Title: Senior Daycare Officer Joined: 2015

Julie holds an NVQ level 4 in Children's Care, Learning and Development. She also holds other associated qualifications such as Autism Spectrum Disorder training; Paediatric First Aid; iCan (Communication training) Safeguarding and Food Hygiene.
Julie is also a friendly keyworker and room leader within the 2-5 room.

Kelly

Kelly Savory

Job Title: Senior Daycare Officer Joined: 2009

Kelly holds an NVQ level 3 in Children's Care, Learning and Development. She also holds other associated qualifications such as Autism Spectrum Disorder training; Nutrition Awareness- Food Safety; Sensory integration; iCan (communication training) alongside mandatory Paediatric First Aid and Safeguarding training.
Kelly is also a friendly keyworker and a room leader within our 2-5 room.

Christine

Christine Montaser

Job Title: Daycare Officer Joined: 2010

Christine holds an NNEB in Nursery Nursing and a variety of other associated qualifications linked to her role as baby room leader.


These include Early Language and Development; Managing Medication; An intro to Autism Spectrum; Moving and Handling; Paediatric First Aid; Makaton and Safeguarding training.

Laura

Laura Brown

Job Title: Daycare Officer Joined: 2025

Laura holds a Level 3 in Early Years.
She also holds mandatory Paediatric First Aid and Food Hygiene qualifications.

Vanessa

Vanessa Steele

Job Title: Daycare Assistant Joined: 2016

Vanessa holds a level 3 Nursery Nurse Diploma and has successfully completed her level 2 Food Safety Award

Ruby

Ruby Thompson

Job Title: Apprentice Childcare Assisant Joined: 2024

Ruby holds a Level 2 in Health and Social Care and is currently working towards her Level 3 in Early Years.

Rachael

Rachael Abbott

Job Title: Apprentice Childcare Assisant Joined: 2024

Rachael holds a Level 3 Diploma in Early Years and has successfully achieved a Level 3 in Paediatric First Aid.

Amy

Amy Bellas

Job Title: Daycare Officer Joined: 2024

Amy holds a Level 4 Diploma in teaching and learning.
She has also successfully achieved a Level 3 in Paediatric First Aid.

Rebecca

Rebecca Harle

Job Title: Daycare Officer Joined: 2023

Rebecca holds a Level 3 in Early Years. She has also successfully achieved a Level 3 in Paediatric First Aid.

Wendy

Wendy Tweddle

Job Title: Daycare Officer Joined: 2018

Wendy holds a Level 3 in Children's Care, Learning and Development.
She also holds mandatory Paediatric First Aid and Food Hygiene qualifications.

Alisha

Alisha Sawyers

Job Title: Daycare Officer Joined: 2018

Alisha holds a Level 3 in Health and Social Care.
She also holds mandatory Paediatric First Aid and Food Hygiene qualifications

Frequently Asked Questions about Barnwell Daycare

What is the Age Range of Children that Barnwell Daycare accepts?

Barnwell Daycare accepts Children aged from 0 years 0 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Barnwell Daycare Open?

Barnwell Daycare is open: Monday 08:00-18:00, Tuesday 08:00-18:00, Wednesday 08:00-18:00, Thursday 08:00-18:00, Friday 08:00-18:00.

How many Children does Barnwell Daycare have capacity for?

Barnwell Daycare has capacity for a total of 36 Children.

How far is Barnwell Daycare to the centre of Houghton le Spring?

2.2 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 Barnwell Daycare to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Barnwell Daycare has an Enhanced Service - more info.