Castle View Day Nursery

A gadget board for babies, nature discoveries to photograph and an open snack bar for preschool children give Castle View Day Nursery a practical, hands-on character. Based on Watling Street in Mountsorrel, it combines indoor exploration with access to village amenities, including a library, farm and river walks. Everyday experiences supply much of the learning material.

The nursery has capacity for 45 children, with a current age range of two months to five years. At its 17 February 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall and asked staff to extend children's vocabulary more ambitiously. That language-development point deserves attention alongside the strengths in relationships and practical learning.

EYlog, an electronic learning journal and daily diary, gives parents photographs, videos and information about care routines. Opening hours run from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, with closures for bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year.

Rooms and Ages

Kittens room serves babies and younger toddlers, with mirrors and displays positioned for their view, a gadget board for exploration and low furniture to support movement before independent walking. The physical arrangement gives early mobility and sensory investigation a clear place in the day.

Lambs room serves children aged two to three, using toys, games and materials that encourage them to investigate problems, try ideas and recognise their achievements. For this age group, the emphasis shifts towards having a go and working things out.

Preschool children also practise independence through an open snack bar: they pour drinks from jugs and use picture and number prompts when choosing fruit. These are small, useful opportunities to connect counting with everyday decisions.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care; here, play, exploration and practical routines give children opportunities to develop those skills. Activities draw on children's interests, with natural materials used to encourage discovery rather than relying solely on manufactured toys.

Nature exploration includes collecting finds, photographing them and investigating what children have noticed. A damaged leaf, a snail or a developing bud can become the starting point for another search outdoors. The value is in returning to a question and looking more closely, rather than simply completing an activity.

Imaginative play gives children scope to choose characters and stories, using toys, materials and space to develop their ideas. In February 2023, activities also drew on family experiences: birthday photographs prompted conversation while children shaped celebration cakes from dough. That linked nursery play with events children already understood.

Outdoor and Community Life

The surrounding village provides opportunities to explore shops, a farm, the library and wildlife walks. Children can encounter the uses of familiar places as well as natural objects, giving staff concrete subjects for conversation and investigation.

In February 2023, children made regular library visits, took bus journeys and walked to parks and farms; café stops also featured. Garden play included transferring mud through tubes into a wheelbarrow set at a lower level. The activity brought movement, experimentation and problem-solving together through ordinary materials.

Relationships and Communication

EYlog connects learning updates with the details parents need about their child's day. Its emailed diary covers sleep, nappy changes, food intake and activities, while parents can respond to observations. This makes communication useful for care routines as well as developmental milestones.

In February 2023, settling began with gathering information about children's abilities, interests and familiar routines before attendance. Staff used that knowledge to plan care, helping the move between home and nursery feel more consistent. Children also practised managing belongings, taking off shoes and using cutlery, making independence part of ordinary routines.

Staff support had a practical structure at that time: supervision meetings, mentoring for newcomers and access to professional development. For families, the relevant point is how practitioners are supported to understand and respond to children, rather than a staffing headcount detached from the day-to-day arrangements.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities making good progress, supported through coordination between the SENCO, practitioners, outside agencies and parents. The joint planning mattered because support could continue consistently across nursery and home.

Full disabled access and facilities are provided. Food is freshly prepared on site, menus have been reviewed by a dietitian, and babies receive mashed or puréed versions suited to their weaning stage; dietary requirements can be catered for.

Moving towards school also featured in February 2023: local teachers provided staff training on phonics and writing, helping practitioners understand children's next educational stage. This was preparation for learning ahead, rather than an admissions arrangement.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Castle View Day Nursery, Watling Street, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire LE12 7BD. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am until 6pm, and closes on bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year. Those closures matter when arranging cover around work commitments.

A wraparound care package includes an additional 3.5 private hours. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 0116 319 1016 or by email to admin@castleviewnursery.com. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Early Education Entitlement is offered, including up to 30 hours for children aged three and above, subject to eligibility. Private childcare is also offered. The nursery separates funded provision from charges for its food, care and activity package, so a funded booking and its associated extras need to be considered together.

For children accessing funding, breakfast, hot lunch, high tea and snacks are charged separately; the package also lists care, an IT administration contribution, special activities, and trips and walks. Nappies and milk are supplied by the nursery. The price list sets out the package structure and the additional private hours associated with wraparound care.

• Language development. In February 2023, staff needed to use more ambitious vocabulary during conversations with children. On a visit, ask how practitioners now extend language during play and everyday routines.
• Funded bookings and wraparound care. Food and package extras are charged separately for funded children, and wraparound care adds private hours. Ask for a written quotation matching your intended attendance, including how funded hours are distributed and how nappies are treated within the charges.
• Dietary needs. The nursery caters for dietary requirements and adapts babies' food for weaning. Families managing allergies should discuss current preparation and serving arrangements before joining.

Castle View suits families who value practical exploration, village outings and detailed communication about both learning and care. Kittens room's movement resources, Lambs room's problem-solving emphasis and EYlog give that character substance. Its weekday opening window and funded provision with a wraparound package also make it relevant to families combining childcare with work.

The February 2023 vocabulary-development recommendation remains the clearest educational question to explore. A decision should bring together the child's likely daily experience and a written quotation for the intended booking, especially where funded hours and private wraparound care are combined.