Darlington-based Upperthorpe Nursery has celebrated a successful first year in business with a special open day, which saw families from the local community gather for a weekend of fun.
The childcare specialist, which has approval from Ofsted to care for almost 100 children aged from three months to eleven years, rounded off 2015 with a party that gave parents the chance to meet their children’s friends and carers.
Sarah Richardson, Nursery Manager led the celebrations and helped entertain the children with arts and crafts, group activities and even arranged a visit from Phil Niall Falconry birds of prey display team and Gill from Farmyard Flyer bus.
In addition to offering pre-school care and education, Upperthorpe also has provision for extended opening hours and provides after-school clubs. It has also received approval from the local authority to provide 15 hours of free childcare for eligible two-year-olds and 15 hours of free early years education for three and four-year-olds.
Set in an acre of land and on Woodland Road, which is within the West End of Darlington Conservation Area, Upperthorpe Nursery retains the building’s classic Victorian styling while being far more energy efficient through the installation of a biomass boiler.
Originally built in 1850, the building has had a variety of uses since it was a private residence including a secretarial college, military hospital and NHS offices.
Sarah Richardson said: “It has been an excellent first year for Upperthorpe Nursery; demand for our service has been extremely high since we launched and it continues to grow, thanks to our unique offering.
“Events such as this one are very important to the families of the children we care for; they allow them to experience the quality of our employees and facilities first-hand, which helps the parents to build trust and confidence in our capabilities.”