# The Play Hut The Play Hut is a full-day nursery at 347 North Road, Darlington, DL1 3BL, in Harrowgate Hill, Darlington. It is registered for 69 children. Ofsted rated it Good at its inspection in February 2022, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025. It has a Google rating of 5.0 from 5 reviews (October 2026). Page: https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/the-play-hut-301135 Last checked 31 October 2026. ## At a glance - Type: Full-day nursery - Address: 347 North Road, Darlington, DL1 3BL - Registered places: 69 - Phone: 01325 362526 - Ofsted URN: 301135 ## Ofsted and official records Ofsted rated it Good at its inspection on 22 February 2022, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025. - Quality of education: Good - Behaviour and attitudes: Good - Personal development: Good - Leadership and management: Good Safeguarding effective. Report: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/301135 Official records: - Ofsted registration: Registered since November 1998 (Reference 301135). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/301135) - Inspections on record: 1 inspection (latest 22 February 2022). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/301135) - Registered places: 69 places (the most children it may care for at once). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/301135) - Food hygiene rating: 5 (Very good) (inspected 18 June 2026). Source: Food Standards Agency, checked 13 November 2026 (https://ratings.food.gov.uk/business/232748) ## Fees Fees, hours and ages: not published yet. ## Hours and ages Opening hours and ages: not published yet. ## Getting there Address: 347 North Road, Darlington, DL1 3BL Directions: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=54.547034,-1.547874 - Station: North Road, 0.8 miles - 13 bus stops within 400 m - Park: Bensham Park, 0.2 miles - Park: North Park, 0.3 miles - Park: Drinkfield Marsh Nature Reserve, 0.4 miles - Playground: Playground, 0.2 miles - Playground: Playground, 0.3 miles NaPTAN, Department for Transport, checked 13 November 2026 · © OpenStreetMap contributors, checked 13 November 2026. ## Places and next steps Spaces: not published yet. In Darlington there are about 3.8 children under 5 for every registered nursery place. Places are how many children nurseries may care for, not free spaces. Source: ONS Census 2021. When to apply: https://toddly.co.uk/when-to-apply-for-nursery ## Ratings - Google: 5.0 out of 5 from 5 reviews (as of 31 October 2026) ## Nearby schools Distances are in a straight line. | School | Phase | Ages | Ofsted | Nursery class | Distance | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Harrowgate Hill Primary School | Primary | 3–11 | Report card (February 2026) | yes | under 0.1 miles | | St Bede's Catholic Primary School | Primary | 3–11 | Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Good; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Good (December 2024) | yes | 0.4 miles | | Northwood Primary School | Primary | 2–11 | School remains Good (March 2024) | yes | 0.5 miles | | Gurney Pease Academy | Primary | 2–11 | Report card (February 2026) | yes | 0.9 miles | | Springfield Academy | Primary | 3–11 | Report card (April 2026) | yes | 0.9 miles | | Beaumont Hill Academy | | 2–19 | School remains Good (May 2024) | yes | 0.9 miles | | Corporation Road Community Primary School | Primary | 2–11 | Good (September 2023) | yes | 1.1 miles | | Whinfield Primary School | Primary | 5–11 | School remains Good (March 2022) | | 1.1 miles | ## Nearby nurseries | Nursery | Ofsted | Day fee from | Hours | Distance | |---|---|---|---|---| | [Lowson Street Pre-School](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/lowson-street-pre-school-508117) | Good | | | under 0.1 miles | | [Kids Planet Darlington](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/kids-planet-darlington-2838554) | | | | 1.0 miles | | [Darlington College Childcare Centre](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/darlington-college-childcare-centre-ey338310) | Good | | | 1.2 miles | | [Big Kids Little Kids Nursery and out of School Club](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/big-kids-little-kids-nursery-and-out-of-school-club-ey280315) | Good | | | 1.2 miles | | [Secret Garden Day Nursery](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/secret-garden-day-nursery-ey552521) | Good | | | 1.3 miles | | [Pierremont Pre-School](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/pierremont-pre-school-301170) | Good | | | 1.4 miles | ## Frequently asked questions ### What is The Play Hut's Ofsted rating? Ofsted rated The Play Hut Good at its inspection on 22 February 2022, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025. ### How many children can The Play Hut take? The Play Hut is registered with Ofsted for up to 69 children at any one time. ### What is the nearest station to The Play Hut? North Road is the nearest station we know of, 0.8 miles away in a straight line. ### How do I contact The Play Hut? You can call 01325 362526. ## Sources - Registration and inspections: Ofsted, as of 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/301135) - Rating and review themes: Google, as of 31 October 2026 (https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=The+Play+Hut&query_place_id=ChIJWW6qea6bfkgRYkTKS3FNtsw) - Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools, as of 4 November 2026 (https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/) Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.