Stomping Grounds Kindergarten

20/08/2026

Stomping Grounds North East have some staffing news to share.
Rachel Watson, our Kindergarten Manager is leaving her role after five and a half years. Here is a personal message from her to say farewell:

“To all our wonderful kindergarten families, both present and past,
It is with mixed emotions that I let you know that I am stepping away from managing kindergarten and moving on to pastures new. You and your children have been my driving force and I have loved every minute of working with you and your children. I leave behind a wonderfully nurturing and knowledgeable team and leave on a high as we can now share our most recent Ofsted report which acknowledges the passion and dedication of all the team.

Read our report here: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/2803388?utm_source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=report

After five and a half years of taking the seed of an idea to a now well established Kindergarten, I step away and watch with supportive interest as Kindergarten continues to grow. Thank you for trusting me with your children and for all your support over the years.”

To all our current and prospective families, please rest assured that we have an interim management and leadership team in place, fully supporting the team on the ground whilst we advertise for a new Kindergarten Manager.

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17/08/2026

Hope you are all enjoying the summer! There are some Kindergarten staff in the office this week so if any current or prospective parents and carers have any questions then please do get in touch.

09/07/2026

We still have some spaces left for a September start! Please get in touch asap so you can come for a visit soon. We are closed over the summer holidays so we only have a couple of weeks left to arrange September places. We’d love to have you! Come and see what we have on offer!

Would you like your child to experience an outdoor education experience and a holistic, unhurried start to their education journey? If so, express your interest and we will give you a call.

https://www.stomping-grounds.org/what-we-offer/kindergarten/

06/07/2026

Summer days 🍉☀️⚽️🤸☀️
Did you know we regularly leave our wonderful basecamp to go adventuring around the Gibside estate? We’re so lucky to have this on our doorstep!

02/07/2026

🌿 We're Hiring: Deputy Manager – Kindergarten 🌿

Are you an experienced Early Years practitioner ready to take the next step in your leadership journey?

We're looking for a passionate and dedicated Deputy Manager to join our Kindergarten team. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who loves inspiring others, leading by example, and creating exceptional child-led, nature-based learning experiences.

In this role, you'll work closely with our Kindergarten Manager to:
🌱 Support the day-to-day leadership of the setting
👧 Deliver outstanding care and learning for children aged 2–5
🤝 Mentor and develop a talented team
🏡 Build strong relationships with children and families
⭐ Help drive continuous improvement and maintain the highest standards of care, learning and safeguarding

If you're ready to grow your leadership and management experience within a supportive, values-driven organisation, we'd love to hear from you.

📩 Apply today or share this opportunity with someone who would be a perfect fit!



https://www.stomping-grounds.org/about-us/join-our-team/

28/06/2026

What a wonderful week we’ve had in the sun 😀☀️Water play has been such a fun way to cool off 💦💦💦

15/06/2026

One of the perks of our Kindergarten Forest School is that we have the best neighbours! 😆🐑
The sheep in the field next to us seem to take their role of supervisors very seriously. Every day they gather at the fence to inspect our activities and judge our stick collections. They think we’re baaarilliant!! We think they’re pretty great too 🐏☺️

If you would like to find out more about our kindergarten, please visit our website https://www.stomping-grounds.org/what-we-offer/kindergarten/

05/06/2026

Rolling into the weekend like…..☺️

22/05/2026

We’re rounding up another action packed week (and half term), here in kindergarten, by soaking up that glorious sunshine! ☀️
We can feel the effects of that lovely vitamin D already 😊
To our families… we hope you have a wonderful bank holiday and half term break. See you on Monday the 1st of June!

If you would like to find out more about our kindergarten, please visit our website https://www.stomping-grounds.org/what-we-offer/kindergarten/