Kids 1st - Darlington
Day nursery in Darlington, DL2.
Alderman Leach Drive, Darlington, DL2 2GF
Run by Busy Bees Nurseries What Ofsted found
Good Inspected 3 June 2025
| Judgement | Grade |
|---|---|
| Overall effectiveness | Good |
| Quality of education | Good |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
The second of the four grades: a good standard of care and learning. Ofsted now gives report cards instead, so this grade stays until the next inspection.
What a place could cost
Kids 1st - Darlington sets its own prices. These are the averages for day nurseries in North East, for 50 hours a week in term time once the 30 funded hours are taken off.
| Child's age | You pay a week | About a month |
|---|---|---|
| From 9 months to 2 | £140 | £444 |
| 2 years old | £126 | £398 |
| 3 to 4 years old | £117 | £369 |
A month here is 38 term-time weeks spread over 12 months. Work out your own hours or check your free hours.
Kids 1st - Darlington against Darlington
| Kids 1st - Darlington | Darlington average | |
|---|---|---|
| Places | 108 | 58 |
| Ofsted outcome | Good | 92% rated Good or better |
Other nurseries close by
- Kids Planet High Bank Strong standard in all 6, 140 places, DL2 2QE
- Little Acorns Outstanding, 36 places, DL2 2ET
- Serendipity Nursery And Outdoor Learning Expected standard in 5 of 6, 57 places, DL2 1DL
Kids 1st - Darlington is run by Busy Bees Nurseries, which has 332 nurseries in England and 43 rated Outstanding. See its nurseries in Darlington.
Questions parents ask about Kids 1st - Darlington
- What Ofsted grade does Kids 1st - Darlington have?
- Kids 1st - Darlington was rated Good at its inspection on 3 June 2025, under the grading Ofsted used before report cards.
- How many children can Kids 1st - Darlington take?
- Ofsted registers Kids 1st - Darlington for 108 places at any one time. The average day nursery in Darlington has 58.
- How much does Kids 1st - Darlington cost?
- Kids 1st - Darlington sets its own fees, so ask it for a price list. As a guide, the average nursery in North East charges £166 a week for 25 hours for a child under 2, before any free hours.
- Does Kids 1st - Darlington offer 30 hours free childcare?
- Any nursery on the Ofsted Early Years Register can offer the funded hours, but each one chooses how many funded places it has and what it charges for meals and extras. Ask Kids 1st - Darlington how it offers them.
- When was Kids 1st - Darlington last inspected?
- Ofsted last inspected Kids 1st - Darlington on 3 June 2025. The full report is on the Ofsted website.
- Is Kids 1st - Darlington part of a nursery group?
- Yes. Kids 1st - Darlington is one of 332 day nurseries in England run by Busy Bees Nurseries.
Nursery list and inspection outcomes from Ofsted's register of childcare providers, as at 30 June 2026.
Fees shown are regional averages from the Coram Family and Childcare Survey 2026, not any one nursery’s price. Confirm with the nursery before enrolling.
Eligibility rules are the government’s (childcarechoices.gov.uk). Whether a nursery offers the funded hours, and what it charges for meals and consumables, is the nursery’s decision; ask for its funded-hours terms in writing.