A NURSERY which specialises in musical and child-led learning is doubling in size and creating new jobs following a £380,000 investment.

Do Re Mi Day Nursery, in Durham, was set up by former Teesside High Prep School Director of Music, Dr Jane Todd, in 2013 to give young children the opportunity to thrive through their musical programmes.

The nursery’s range of music lessons, from birth to five year-olds, are designed to allow the children to progress musically as they reach school. Dr Todd said that their approach also had a positive impact on a child’s speech and language development.

Now, after becoming oversubscribed, the Ofsted ‘outstanding’ rated nursery has completed a £380,000 expansion, £20,000 of which was a capital grant from Durham County Council, and has plans to take on two more staff.

Dr Todd, who also lectures in musical education at Newcastle University, said: “The expansion has allowed us to pursue our natural, child-led way of learning. It’s the opposite of pre-determined play and our staff are trained in this wonderful approach too. Parents know this isn’t a place which is filled with plastic toys.”