Jarrow: Ofsted outstanding Bede Burn Kindergarten expanding with new room for two-year-olds and facilities
A children’s nursery in South Tyneside is set to benefit from expanded facilities, following a decision by council development bosses.
South Tyneside Council’s planning department has approved an application for Bede Burn Kindergarten in Bede Burn Road, Jarrow.
A planning bid was lodged earlier this year (2025) for a single-storey extension to the existing site, partly in place of an existing canopy and decking area, and area of paving, hardstanding and grass.
Council planning documents state the nursery currently cares for “an average of 40 to 60 children per day, with numbers varying throughout the week” and has a team of up to 12 staff.
New plans aimed to “establish a new dedicated room specifically for two-year-olds” due to “recent changes to educational standards regarding staff deployment and child interaction”.
It was also noted that the proposed “purpose-built space” would be located in an area that was “previously used as part of the kitchen, staff room, and a passageway” and would “not affect the overall enrolment numbers”.
Information from applicants, outlined in a council report, confirmed “children will simply be transitioning from their current room to the new space”.
Elsewhere, the applicant said they intend to “repurpose” the room currently used for two-year-olds into an “after-school care program” , with plans to “accommodate an additional 16 children” along with “two more staff members to support the program effectively.”
During a council public consultation exercise on the plan, there was one representation with questions about the impact of construction works and associated “noise disturbance.”
In response to the concerns, council planners said construction working hours would be monitored by a planning condition and that action could be taken by the council’s highways department if construction materials were found “located on the highway.”
After considering the planning application and assessing it against planning policies, South Tyneside Council’s planning department approved it on July 9, 2025.
Council planners, in a decision report, said the plans would “complement the existing operations at the site” and that the proposed extension would be “similar in design to the existing building”.
It was also noted that “given the location of the development relative to the closest residential properties to the west at Bede Burn Road”, there would not be “any adverse amenity, privacy or overshadowing issues”.
The council decision report added: “It is considered that the proposal would result in no significant harm to the amenity of the area, highways and parking, trees, ecology or land contamination.
“As a result, it is considered that the proposed development complies with all relevant local and national planning policy and guidance [and] consequently, this application is recommended for approval.”
Council planners noted that any Ofsted requirements to “allow for up to 16 additional children” would be “a matter outwith the determination of this application.”
For more information on the plans for Bede Burn Kindergarten, visit South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 250148