Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School

Union Hall Farm, Brasside, Durham DH1 5SG
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Top 20 award
9.9 67 Reviews
  • Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School, Durham
As part of the Farm Day Nurseries group, Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School is purpose-built to offer the very best early years education within a countryside environment.

Offering quality childcare for children from 6 weeks old, children will enjoy daily visits to the farm animals and free flow access between the nursery building and the private nursery and pre-school gardens. Adventure Valley was recently rated 'Good' by Ofsted in their April 2022 inspection.

Children also enjoy a new woodland space, exclusive for nursery use, where children enjoy a number of woodland activities.

The new day nursery & pre-school offers 2, 3 & 4-year-old funding including 30 free hours.

Please register for a Showround at their website.

Nursery opening hours: Monday - Friday 07:30 am - 06:30 pm.

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Care Provided by Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School

  • Type of Service
  • Day Nursery – Privately Owned
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Julie Norton (Nursery Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 20
  • Total Places for Children
  • 94
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 2 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 07:30-18:30
    Tuesday 07:30-18:30
    Wednesday 07:30-18:30
    Thursday 07:30-18:30
    Friday 07:30-18:30
  • When Closed
  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Funding & Fees Guide for Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School

  • Full-day session: 7:30 am - 6:00 pm
    Morning session: 7:30 am - 1:00 pm
    Afternoon session: 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
    Late collection: 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm

  • Each situation is different and bespoke to your childcare needs. To find out more about our fees, please do get in touch so we are able to build a profile and give you a breakdown of what we believe best suits your child’s needs.

Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School Reviews (67)

Total of 67, showing 21-40
9.9

Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.865) out of 10, based on 17 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School has 67 reviews.

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Review from K H (Mother of Child) published on 16 February 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My little boy has additional needs and everyone at the Nursery has welcomed him and has provided him with a good level of care and attention. They have adapted to his needs and have actively encouraged his development. The staff are very friendly and supportive. The facilities at the Nursery are fantastic.
I would definitely recommend Adventure Valley Day Nursery and Pre-School.

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Review from F F (Mother of Child) published on 16 February 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My children really enjoy attending this setting as the staff are absolutely lovely and make them feel safe and valued. There's always a great range of activities going on for the children to take part in and the management are brilliant.

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Review from Maria A (Mother of Child) published on 9 August 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My little one will be graduating from Adventure Valley nursery, and it has hands down been the best time of her little life. She has had such an amazing time, from going to the farm and outdoor activities to feeling safe and secure within the nursery itself. I always left feeling reassured that they
knew my little girl so well and she was in the best hands. Would never consider another nursery again after this experience. Amazing team and an amazing place.

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Review from Joanne B (Mother of Child) published on 4 August 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We have enrolled our two little boys at Adventure Valley nursery a couple of months ago - we originally checked it out because they love the farm/play areas and it was in an ideal location for our commutes, but we were quickly impressed by how fantastic the staff are and also how flexible they have
been to fit around our needs as a family. Our eldest gets so excited on nursery days and it feels like he has been there forever - the staff all seem to get to know the children so quickly and are great with him and my little one has settled really well so far on his taster sessions despite being a clingy baby who has never been left with anybody else. I couldn't recommend the nursery highly enough!

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Review from Emma B (Mother of Child) published on 15 June 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My little boy has only been attending pre-school since the beginning of the year and already we have seen a massive change in him, his confidence is growing and he is thriving in a fun learning environment. Having never previously been left for any length of time we were apprehensive as to how he would
react but the staff have been fantastic, everyone is patient, caring, and understanding. I feel the team are making a big effort to get to know us as a family and are very personable. I would recommend Adventure Valley Day Nursery to anyone looking for a warm nurturing environment for their child, not to mention the fantastic facilities. What other nursery has access to a farm, forest, and soft play!

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Review from Z G (Mother of Child) published on 15 June 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have no hesitation in recommending Adventure Valley nursery to anyone. Like so many lockdown kids, my son had had 18 months at home and we were worried about the transition to daycare. The team have been unbelievably supportive, they respond to his needs and work with him as an individual. He has
a speech delay and his own quirks, but he has been welcomed with open arms, and the rich environment offered at Adventure Valley has really boosted his development. As a parent, I feel incredibly lucky to have found such a safe and nurturing environment for my child.

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Review from Sarah P (Mother of Child) published on 29 October 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Adventure Valley is a fantastic child-care setting. The staff are accommodating, friendly, caring, attentive and overall the people I would most trust with my child. They always have time to say hi and chat about my child, I have never once felt rushed at drop-off or pick-up. The setting is unbelievable.
The children have access to nature, an amazing array of educational toys and activities, are separated into appropriate age groups, and the centre is definitely clean and well-cared for. The environment is warm and loving - my child never cries going in in the morning and is reluctant to leave on an evening! Adventure Valley also cater for my child’s dietary needs (vegan) without even batting an eyelid which is a huge bonus. The centre manager is so loving and dedicated - I genuinely feel that she cares about how each child is and their progress. Adventure Valley makes going to work and leaving my child so much easier than it would be anywhere else. I 100% recommend them!

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Review from Sian D (Mother of Child) published on 29 October 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I was so worried about sending my son anywhere to nursery, given the amount of time we’ve spent with each other, but from our first visit, we have been made to feel so comfortable and at ease. My son absolutely adores the nursery, and it’s been such a help with socialisation and speech, especially as
Covid has denied him that chance at such a crucial part of his development. The staff are friendly and approachable, the facilities are outstanding. Nothing is too much trouble. I get a full rundown of his day when I pick him up and now restrictions have lifted, we get review meetings with his keyworker. I honestly couldn’t recommend Adventure Valley Day Nursery highly enough. Thank you for making this transition into the next stage of our family journey so easy.

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Review from Freya DO (Mother of Child) published on 17 May 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School is in a wonderful setting with farm animals, soft play, outdoor play facilities and really nice big rooms with lots of equipment. The staff are lovely and my daughter is very attached to them. They do lots of activities and learn through play and doing things.
It definitely surpasses my expectations and my daughter will be really sad to leave when she goes to school.

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Review from Katie S (Mother of Child) published on 17 May 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Pre Covid-19 I visited an open day with my daughter and was amazed at the beautiful purpose built nursery. I knew this is where I was going to choose when it came around to my daughter starting. When she started visits I was very anxious due to her never being away from me before. During the visits
I was reassured via telephone which eased my emotions a lot, once she started I was emailed photos of her first day and always able to contact for reassurance in the first week. The staff are amazing and very welcoming, Covid-19 rules followed thoroughly and I now always leave at ease. Couldn't recommend this nursery enough.

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Review from Ashley T (Mother of Child) published on 17 May 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School is a lovely nursery in a lovely setting. The range of outdoor and indoor activities offered to the children including on site farm visits and soft play is not something I have heard of anywhere else. Our fifteen month old twin boys have spent most of their lives
in lockdown and I am so happy they are now getting to have this experience. The staff are so kind, friendly and I never feel anxious when the boys are at nursery as they take such good care of the children. I couldn’t rate them any more highly!

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Review from Rebecca M (Mother of Child) published on 17 May 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I highly recommended this nursery. My twins have settled into the baby room without any problems and love coming to nursery. The toys are made from natural materials and it is such a unique opportunity for them to visit the farm daily and to have soft play on site. The food is healthy and balanced with
plenty of drinks and snacks. My children love the food. Each room has outdoor play areas which seem to be used daily, even the babies get out crawling around on the soft astro turf. The staff are amazing, they feed back with pleasure at the end of the day and you know they care about your child and are genuinely interested in their development. Being a working mum is hard but knowing the children are in such a caring, nurturing environment everyday is everything. The manager is so approachable, no query too big or small, she makes you feel valued and listened to and is very accommodating to any new requests. An amazing nursery all round!

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Review from Chelsea K (Mother of Child) published on 17 May 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I was nervous to send our little one to nursery, not because of him as thankfully he’s so sociable but more he’d never had anyone else look after him. We went for a show around and met the manager who was very welcoming and accommodating. I loved the feel of the room he’d be in as well as the variety
of toys they’d have. I also loved the outdoors element and that they’d get to visit the farm and soft play on site which I felt he’d really missed out on. During his first visit, we actually were advised we could leave if we wanted as he was already so settled! He has never once cried or not wanted to go in and always greets his carers happily. We get a book everyday with what he’s done and the staff are so friendly. I could not be happier with the opportunities he gets as well as the standard of care. Would recommend ten times and over!

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Review from Joanna S (Mother of Child) published on 16 May 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We have been delighted with the care that our little girl has had at Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School. From our first visit we feel that they have accommodated for her, fitting in extra settling sessions to allay any fears I had and help her settle well. Her key worker knows her well and is
good at communicating what has happened during the day and the staff generally have built up a good rapport, both with our daughter and with us. We feel very confident leaving her, knowing she is very well cared for. I really like the outdoor nature of the nursery and that visits to the farm are so very frequent. The educational ethos is also really important to me, going with the interests and abilities of the child. My daughter comes back from nursery with a new skill or word so often.

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Review from Lesley C (Mother of Child) published on 26 April 2021
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have used Adventure Valley holiday camp twice now in nursery holidays for my twins and they have loved every minute of it. They go in excited and come out the same. They love the activities and all of the facilities such as the play areas and I will definitely continue to use them! Excellent value
for money and worth every penny! Thanks! P.S. The staff are very caring and friendly too!

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Review from E D (Mother of Child) published on 9 December 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our little boy has been to nurseries before but following Covid-19 first lockdown he had been unable to attend and therefore a home bird with Mum. We moved house and nursery.
My little boy really struggled to separate from me at first but the staff are so amazing and comforting - it didn’t take long
- he’s starting to willingly leave me at the gate. He loves the soft play and the farm - we're very outdoorsy people.
Adventure Valley Day Nursery is my ‘ideal’ nursery with excellent communication and very good value for money.

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Review from Shauna B (Mother of Child) published on 20 October 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I don't usually put my children in nursery, just because I feel anxious about them being without me at a young age. I went for a look around and the manager won me over, she isn't like other managers of the nurseries I had visited in the area. My son settled really well with no tears and I feel comfortable
leaving him, even on the days when I am feeling guilty for it. Great communication with staff and if you have any concerns they deal with these brilliantly.

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Review from Laura (Mother of Child) published on 20 October 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I knew when I first visited the nursery at the beginning of the year that I was going to send my little girl. I absolutely love the outdoorsy aspect of it and that they take the little ones to the farm, which is located on-site. The nursery was really clean and all of the furniture is wooden and has
a country, natural feel to it, which again I just love.
It stood out from other nurseries in the area and the staff there are just lovely. You can see that they all enjoy their job and they really look after the little ones. My little girl started a little later than expected due to the pandemic. Like most children, she was a little quiet the first few sessions, but now she has well and truly settled in. She loves her key worker and the rest of the girls. Its completely brought her out of her shell a bit more and she's more confident and playful with other children.
I'd highly recommend this Nursery to anyone looking.

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Review from Rachel G (Mother of Child) published on 20 October 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My little girl started nursery when she was only 7 months old, due to covid her interaction with other people was very limited. Adventure Valley Nursery provided a fabulous induction to make sure my little girl was happy before she did a full day. I am given updates every day when I collect her and
my little girl is always smiling when I pick her up. The staff are all incredibly friendly and welcoming and we were instantly put at ease. Thank you to all the staff at adventure valley for taking such good care of my little girl

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Review from Ashleigh C (Mother of Child) published on 20 October 2020
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son, 18 months, recently started at Adventure Valley after moving from another private nursery in Gateshead. After lockdown, he became increasingly unsettled at his old nursery and drop-offs became heartbreaking. He’s only done his visits and two full days so far but he runs to the gate to meet
the girls. He’s smiling and happy whenever we approach and after one visit he got upset because it was time to go home. I haven’t been able to spend huge amounts of time getting to know the staff due to Covid but they have all been so warm and welcoming, I never leave without knowing exactly how he’s been through the day and I never feel rushed. For us, it’s still early days but I’m extremely confident we have made the right move coming to Adventure Valley.

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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.865)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.865) out of 10 for Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 17 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.9 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:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.961 for Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School is calculated as follows: ( (197 Excellents x 5) + (6 Goods x 4) + (1 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 204 Ratings = 4.961

  • b) 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 4.904 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School 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:

    • i) 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

    • ii) 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 94 number of registered child places is 18.8. 17 Positive Reviews ÷ 18.8 = 0.904

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

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Awards / Recognitions (5)

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Meet the Team (1)

Julie

Julie Norton

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Hello, my name is Julie Norton and I am the Nursery Manager at Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School. I have worked in childcare for almost 20 years and hold a BA Hons in Early Childhood Studies and an NNEB Diploma in Childcare.


I take pride in building those early relationships with both children and parents and love to see children at my nursery grow and develop each day.


Being the Nursery Manager in this fantastic new setting brings me a lot of joy, seeing children learn through nature-based play including taking daily visits to the farmyard animals is a very unique experience for all.


Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Adventure Valley Day Nursery & Pre-School has a Platinum Service – more info.