Bowburn
Clever Clogs Nursery in Bowburn, Durham, is rated as outstanding by Ofsted, and provides 94 childcare places for 0-5 year-olds, as well as out of school care for children aged up to 11.
Ideally situated just two minutes off junction 61 of the A1, Clever Clogs Bowburn is ideally placed for those commuting to Durham or those living in the surrounding area.
Our Rooms
Clever Clogs Bowburn has four rooms which follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and where babies and children are encouraged to stimulate all aspects of their development through a wide range of opportunities and activities.
Each of the rooms is led by a senior member of staff who is supported by highly experienced and qualified nursery practitioners.
From the moment they arrive until the moment they leave us to start school, the children at Clever Clogs Bowburn are supported to ensure they receive the right emotional, social and educational balance through a wide range of opportunities and activities, with the emphasis very much on having fun.
We equip the children with the essential knowledge they need to prepare them for their future success and giving them the best possible start to their early education.

Tiny Miracles
Younger Babies
Tiny Miracles is the room where younger babies begin their journey at Clever Clogs Bowburn. Here, we follow your baby’s home routine with our staff encouraging them to learn through play. We follow The Curiosity Approach which brings old and new resources together to create a stimulating environment for the children.
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Small Discoverers
Older Babies up to 2 Years
Small Discoverers is our room for older babies up to around two years. We still very much follow the home routine whilst encouraging the children to fully explore and investigate their surroundings. Our older babies spend their day playing with a range of developmental/educational toys, again taking the open-ended heuristic approach.
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Little Explorers
Toddlers 2-3 years
Little Explorers is our room for children aged two to 3 (toddlers). At this stage of their development we start to introduce a basic routine so they are ready for their eventual move to pre-school. We encourage the children to develop at their own pace, giving them many opportunities to thrive and grow.
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Big Inventors
Pre-School 3-5 years
Big Inventors is the room where older children end their journey with us at Clever Clogs Bowburn before leaving to start ‘big school’. By following the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, we can provide the opportunities and activities which encourage children to work towards seven key learning goals.
Find out moreActivities
Clever Clogs Bowburn delivers a varied programme of activities that are not only fun for the children but complement the learning goals set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Following The Curiosity Approach, which involves using natural materials and items you would normally see at home, a typical day at the nursery may include junk modelling, painting, crafting, reading, singing, building, dressing up and role play and plenty of outdoor play regardless of the weather (after all that’s what hats, scarves and gloves are for!).
We theme activities around important dates in the calendar, such as Christmas and Easter, and look at British values, underlining the importance to the children of a sharing and caring society.
We also offer Football, Mighty Monsters & Lingotots for a small extra charge.
Meet the Assistant Manager
Jane White is the Assistant Manager of Clever Clogs Bowburn.
She has worked in childcare her whole career (16 years) and has experience in various early years settings. Jane has a Degree in Childcare Studies.
In her role as Assistant Manager, she is responsible for the day-to-day running of our Bowburn nursery.
Jane says: “Working in childcare is all I have ever wanted to do and being part of children’s development is a special job which I love.”


Healthy Eating
We believe that mealtimes should be a happy, social time where healthy, home-cooked foods can be enjoyed and eating skills can be developed at the same time.
All our menus include a hot two-course lunch, freshly prepared on the premises by our chef. We buy our produce from local suppliers and the menus are planned to encompass a healthy and well-balanced diet using the ‘Eat Better, Start Better’ NHS guidelines. The menus are reviewed regularly and we ensure that all of the five food groups are included in our four-weekly menus. Different diets and cultural needs can also be catered for.
In addition to lunch, we offer snacks in the morning and afternoon and water is freely available all day. For babies, parents are asked to provide formula milk and food until a blended nursery menu can be taken.
Our kitchen at Bowburn has a 5-star food hygiene rating.