Castle Hill Private Day Nursery

Cogs, honeycomb and books outdoors give Castle Hill Private Day Nursery a recognisable character: children explore practical problems, talk about the natural world and encounter reading beyond indoor activities. In April 2025, those experiences included working out how to turn a wheel and discovering how bees collect nectar. Small experiences carry substantial learning.

At its April 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children progressed quickly through a challenging curriculum shaped around their interests. There were also clear improvements to make: listening during preschool group activities and more consistent support for physical independence.

Based at 5 King Street, Todmorden, OL14 5SL, the nursery accepts children aged 1 to 60 months. Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings give families different ways to organise attendance. The strongest reasons to consider it are the practical learning described above, routines that accommodate babies individually, and a settling process built around meeting the child's key person.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room and Sunshine Room are named in the nursery's attendance arrangements. For babies, feeding, changing and sleep follow individual needs and familiar routines, so the day can accommodate a child's own rhythm.

Across the setting, children choose some activities while adults guide others. Rest and quieter experiences are part of the day, with activities adjusted to changing energy levels. That balance gives children opportunities to join group life and time to pause when they need it.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, its everyday expression includes play, conversation, exploration and practical tasks, with child-chosen experiences alongside activities led by staff.

In April 2025, children experimented with cogs, adjusting their positions to make a wheel move. Another activity involved estimating the scoops needed to bury a plastic insect in soil. These examples put problem-solving and early mathematical thinking into children's hands rather than treating them as abstract exercises.

Language also grew from concrete interests that month. A topic about bees prompted discussion of nectar, honeycomb patterns and new vocabulary. Babies explored noises by shaking, crumpling and stamping on materials, while mirrors and songs linked language with parts of the body. The activities were different, but each gave children something tangible to investigate and discuss.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor activity contributes to physical development and understanding of the surrounding world. In April 2025, books could be used outside as well as indoors, extending reading beyond one part of the nursery.

Children also visited local shops for ingredients that month and learned what vegetables need to grow. This connected healthy eating with practical experiences beyond mealtimes. It gave familiar food a wider context: ingredients could be bought, grown and talked about.

Relationships and Communication

Settling includes meeting the child's key person, who answers questions and supports parents through the adjustment. That gives families a specific relationship to build rather than leaving communication entirely to whichever adult happens to be nearby.

Low staff turnover supports continuity, and the manager works in the setting daily. Open communication with parents forms part of the nursery's approach. Together, these arrangements make familiarity an important part of care, although each child's settling needs remain individual.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff acted promptly to support children with SEND, worked with parents and professionals, and used funding for specialist equipment that enabled participation alongside other children. This was a practical account of support: collaboration and equipment helped children take part, rather than inclusion resting on a general statement of welcome.

The same month, children practised brushing their teeth, but adult demonstrations were inconsistent and some children chewed their toothbrushes instead. Opportunities to develop everyday independence, including drinking from an open cup, were also uneven. These details explain why physical independence became an improvement priority.

Babies can sleep according to their own routines, and quieter activities accommodate children's need for rest. Food carries The Cute Fruit Plus Award, which recognises healthy snacks, meals and drinks; dietary needs can be catered for.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Morning sessions run from 7am to 1pm, while afternoon sessions run from 1pm to 6pm; full-day and Monday-to-Friday full-time bookings are also offered. The distinction matters: families can choose part of the day rather than treating the entire opening window as the only attendance option.

The nursery operates for 51 weeks each year. It closes on bank holidays and for approximately a week at Christmas, with the Christmas dates confirmed nearer the time. Bank-holiday closures attract the usual fees, while the Christmas closure is uncharged.

Two weeks of annual holiday attract a reduced charge; sickness and further absence are charged at the usual rate. Extra sessions booked and agreed in advance are charged unless 24 hours' notice is given. Families should factor these terms into the cost of a recurring pattern, alongside their current written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 or 30 hours for eligible children aged 9 months, 2, 3 and 4 years, alongside fee-paying places and paid hours beyond funding. Entitlement and additional private hours are separate parts of the arrangement.

For private full-time and daily bookings, food is included across the day, covering breakfast, snacks, dinner and warm tea; morning bookings include breakfast, a snack and dinner, while afternoon bookings include a snack and warm tea. Wipes and cotton wool are included, whereas parents supply nappies and milk for children having formula or breast milk.

The nursery does not charge for consumables. Families can use the fees and attendance page to understand the charging structure before obtaining a current written quotation.

Getting There

The address is 5 King Street, Todmorden, OL14 5SL. A before- and after-school service and holiday club include collection and transport to Castle Hill School; this is a childcare transport arrangement, rather than an admissions advantage.

• Group participation. In April 2025, larger discussions made turn-taking harder and quieter children could lose their opportunity to speak. During a visit, ask how preschool group activities now give each child room to contribute.
• Everyday independence. The April 2025 improvement priority included more consistent help with physical skills, illustrated by toothbrushing and open-cup drinking. Ask how staff now demonstrate and practise those routines with children.
• Funding and your chosen pattern. Morning, afternoon and full-day options sit alongside funded and private hours. Ask for one written quotation that explains how funding applies to your intended attendance and what any additional charges cover.

Castle Hill suits families considering morning sessions, afternoon sessions or full-day attendance, with baby routines that can follow individual needs. Its April 2025 learning examples have substance: mechanical problem-solving, bee investigations and practical number work gave children clear things to explore.

The balance is equally clear. Group listening and consistent support for physical independence needed attention in April 2025. Families who value practical learning and continuity of relationships have reasons to consider this nursery, with those two improvement priorities providing useful questions for a visit.