Mowden Pre School Group

If you would like to look around our setting or add your child's name to our admissions list, please use the contact details listed.

Today we held our Easter egg and Easter bonnet decorating competition. The entries were kindly judged by Mrs Bainbridge Deputy head at The Federation of Mowden Schools. Well done to all the children who entered...your eggs and bonnets were amazing.

We are looking to recruit a permanent part-time Pre-School practitioner to work 22.25 or 25.75 hours a week term time only. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and two hours on a Thursday afternoon for a staff meeting, with the option to add half a day on a Tuesday morning. This role will commence on 1st September 2026.

You will be joining a small team of Early Years Professionals delivering the EYFS in a Charity run Pre-School, working with 2, 3 and 4-year-old children, located within The Federation of Mowden Schools in Darlington.

In addition:-

You will hold a minimum of a level 3 qualification in Early years or equivalent. You will have experience of being a key worker. You will be self-motivated and enjoy working with children and their families. Able to use your own initiative, when required. Work as part of a close-knit team. Have excellent communication skills. You will be kind, caring and compassionate. You will have a good understanding of safeguarding. This is a term time only role (38 weeks) with half pay being paid through the holidays for 14 weeks. You will hold a current Paediatric First Aid qualification or be willing to undertake a two day paediatric first aid training course before commencing your role in September 2026.

Rate of pay: £12.71 per hour

We will require an Enhanced DBS check to be undertaken and references will be taken.

Please contact us to receive an application form, job description and personal specification via email at [email protected] or call 07812 429563 and ask for the Manager/Deputy Manager.

If you would like to come and see the setting during our working hours we will arrange this for the week commencing Monday 20th April.

Job Types: Part-time, Permanent

If you would like to look around our setting or add your child's name to our admissions list, please use the contact details listed.

All aboard the Polar Express!

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Today we had so much fun pretending we were on "The Polar Express."

📚 We read the book together.

🚂 We munched on our morning snack on our pretend train, and the teachers served us at our seats.

❄️ This afternoon, we built the longest train track ever across the whole classroom and had a blast working together.

🍪 Then we snuggled up with a cookie and hot chocolate to watch some of the movie, just like at the cinema.

What a cozy day to stay inside while it was pouring rain outside!

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WOW!!!! 🤩

Thank you so much to everyone who came to watch our Christmas performance or bought raffle tickets. All prizes have been collected or claimed. 🎁

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

DRUM ROLL PLEASE..... 🥳

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You have helped us raise an amazing £543! 💰🎉

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We are utterly grateful for all the support you give our preschool, and we couldn't give the children the resources and opportunities we do without your support. So thank you all so much! 🙏💖

The stage is set and we are almost ready to go!

Main reception doors open at 3.45pm ready for the performance to start at 4pm prompt!

We cant wait to see you all!

Wow!! Here are our amazing prizes for the raffle.

Raffle prizes!! 🎁🎉🎈

This week the children have brought home £5 pounds worth of raffle tickets per child. 🎟️ Please sell what you can, write names on the back and return the named tickets back to Preschool with the money raised. 💰 If you require anymore tickets please see staff on the door or send us an email and we will sort that out for you. 📧 Tickets will also be available to purchase at the beginning of the christmas performance on Wednesday and the raffle will be drawn after the show.

Thank you so much to Mr & Mrs Daykin for all their efforts in donating, creating and wrapping such amazing raffle prizes for us to help raise funds to enhance our provision for the children. 🙏

We have some amazing prizes! 🤩

If anyone with children not in preschool would like some raffle tickets please message the page or pop to preschool when the doors open 8.45 till 9 or 3 till 3.15 and we will be happy to sort this out. We have amazing prizes so ots well worth it!

Here are the prizes in no particular order,

A large Ringtons hamper.
A fabulous Ringtons cottage hamper.
A food hamper.
2 x Chocolate bouquets.
A wine and cheese hamper.
A breakfast hamper.
A children's hamper.
A christmas cake and port prize.
A drinks and snacks hamper.
A stunning marks and Spencers hamper.

All winners will be announced on the white board and via tapestry. We will notify all winners ASAP.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE 👍 💓

❤️ ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

We’re looking for a permanent, part-time Pre-School Practitioner/Deputy SENCO to join our team!

This role is for 29 hours per week during term time, working 08:30–15:30 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and from 08.30-17.30 on Thursdays.

You’ll be joining a small, supportive team of Early Years professionals in our charity-run Pre-School, based within The Federation of Mowden Schools in Darlington. We work with children aged 2, 3 and 4, providing a welcoming and nurturing environment where every child can thrive.

In this role, you’ll deliver high-quality care tailored to each child’s individual needs, making sure they are always safe, happy and well supported. You’ll help plan and deliver engaging play experiences, observe and record children’s progress, and provide the right level of support to help them grow. Building positive relationships with parents and carers is also an important part of the job, keeping them updated on their child’s development.

As Deputy SENCO, you’ll work closely with the Manager/SENCO to support our Special Educational Needs provision. This includes liaising with families and external agencies, and contributing to plans, reviews and associated paperwork.

We’re looking for someone who:

Holds a Level 3 Early Years qualification• Has Early Years SENCO experience• Has experience as a key worker• Is passionate, self-motivated, and experienced in working with children and their families• Has excellent communication skills• Is kind, caring and compassionate• Understands safeguarding responsibilities• Holds a current Paediatric First Aid certificate or is willing to complete a two-day course• Is willing to undergo an Enhanced DBS check and provide references

What we offer:

£12.21 to £12.60 depending on Senco experience• Term-time only role, with half-pay provided during school holidays• 14 weeks of holiday• Uniform provided• A warm, friendly, close-knit team to work with

How to apply – Contact Claire or Elaine via email: [email protected] with your updated CV and cover letter.

Job Types: Part-time, Permanent

Pay: £12.21-£12.60 per hour

Expected hours: 29 per week

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 08/12/2025

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Today we had so much messy fun!!

We carved pumpkins! We heard lots of you had visited the Pumpkin patch and had had a turn at home at making spooky pumpkins.

🎃 We had a safety talk on knives and carving tools first to make sure we all understood how to be safe.

🧙‍♀️ Then with some help, the children loved pulling out all the messy flesh from inside. We had so much expressive describing language. "Slimy" "gooey" "sticky" "smelly" "stringy" "orangey" "sloppy"

👻 With some help we all made silly faces and carved them into the pumpkins, then popped in some spooky lights.

🪄After we took out pumpkins into the parlour, made it dark so we could see the lights and had a spooky story "Winnie flies again!" We used the left over glow sticks as wands and waved them shouting Abracadabra helping Winnie to fly again!

Well done everyone. We cant wait to celebrate with a fancy dress party on Friday (please parents/carers no all in one costumes, it makes going to the toilet very difficult and the children get rather upset if they have an accident and cant wear their costume again"

🎃🧙‍♀️👻🧹🪄🎃🧙‍♀️👻🧹🪄🎃🧙‍♀️👻🧹🪄🎃🧙‍♀️👻

This week we are celebrating DIWALI the festival of lights. 🪔

The children have spent today learning about Diwali and how families celebrate. We learned lots of new information. 🎈🎊🎁

🪔 Diwali is a 5 day festival celebrating light over darkness. ✨🌟💡

🎆 People dress up in special clothes, eat a feast, clean and decorate their houses. 🥳🎈🎊

💓 Special sweets and presents are shared with family and friends. 🎁🎈🎉

The children in Preschool learned about Diwali and made connections between other celebrations such as birthdays, Christmas and Easter. 🎈🎊🎉
We have had so much fun and learned lots of new words. 🥳🎉🎁

♥️ We decorated hands in Mendhi patterns 🎨✨

🤎We made Rangoli patterns in rice, pasta and lentils. Then made our own patterns using chalk pens. 🎨🎊🥳

💛 We decorated beautiful Diya lamps. 💡🎉🎈

🧡We coloured beautiful pictures of special Diwali clothing. 🎨🎊🥳

This has been a super exciting day. 🥳🎈🎉
Happy Diwali to all our families, we hope you have a wonderful time celebrating. 🎊🎉🎈

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We extend our sincere gratitude to all the wonderful families at Mowden Preschool. Your generous harvest donations have been delivered to St Mary's Church Food Bank and will be distributed to families in need. We are truly thankful for your kindness and generosity.

🧡♥️🤎💛🧡♥️🤎💛🧡♥️🤎💛🧡♥️🤎💛🧡♥️