THE first private nursery in the UK to open in a school has been launched on Teesside.

The Top Tots Day Care has opened at Beech Grove Children's Centre, in South Bank.

The centre, in the Beech Grove Primary School, is run by Yvonne and Bob Cook.

The husband-and-wife team, from Grangetown, run the Priory Day Care Group, which started five years ago and now runs three nurseries in the area.

Top Tots, which operates in partnership with the Government-run Sure Start project, will initially offer 47 places for children up to five years old.

Next year, it is to expand when the new building to accommodate the amalgamated Beech Grove and Cromwell Road primary schools is opened and the current premises demolished.

The nursery features three dedicated areas to cater for children aged up to two, two to three, and three to five.

Mrs Cook said they decided to open the nursery after noticing the lack of childcare services in the area.

The couple started their business five years ago after converting a former Grangetown religious institution, which was occupied by monks.

The couple first leased the premises before eventually buying the property from the monks.

Although Priory Day Care Group started with only four workers, it now employs 34 staff.

The Government has invested millions of pounds in improving childcare provision for the under-fives through its Sure Start project. In 2003, more than £115,000 was invested by Redcar and Cleveland Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership into boosting childcare services in Grangetown from the government's neighbourhood nursery initiative.

This funding was used for a refurbishment programme, which saw provision in the area increase from 30 to 46 places.