Darul-Arqum Nursery

An enclosed garden with planting, digging and a climbing wall gives Darul-Arqum Nursery a practical, hands-on character. Inside, separate rooms for younger and older children support an offer built around play, conversation and growing independence.

Based on Purlwell Lane, WF17 7NQ, the nursery accepts children aged two to five and has 73 places in total. At its June 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged it Good, found safeguarding effective and identified good progress for children with special educational needs and those receiving funding. At an unannounced regulatory visit on 22 January 2025, Ofsted found some requirements were not being met and recorded remedial action. The nursery had sought renewed safeguarding training through the local authority for its whole staff team and designated leads, revised its policies and worked to clarify how staff should handle concerns about a child or an adult.

Term-time attendance includes morning, afternoon and all-day sessions. The strongest practical detail is the structured start: a key person is allocated before a child begins, and settling arrangements can be extended to suit the individual child.

Rooms and Ages

Two indoor rooms separate provision for two-year-olds from that for children aged three to four, allowing activities to be adapted to their developmental stage. Construction resources, imaginative play and spaces for books sit alongside opportunities for water, sand and messy exploration.

The enclosed garden adds planting and digging, with a climbing wall, tunnel and teepee giving outdoor play different physical demands. Music areas extend the choice beyond active movement.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS, the Early Years Foundation Stage, provides the framework for learning through play, with activities shaped around children's interests and development. Staff use observations to decide what to introduce next. Songs, shared books and games give that framework a recognisable form for young children: learning happens through things they can join in with and enjoy.

Characteristics of Effective Learning describes how children approach that learning, including exploring, persevering and working out their own ideas. It sits within the EYFS approach, rather than replacing it. The practical emphasis is on helping a child stay involved, try something unfamiliar and choose a way to solve a problem.

The daily sequence alternates indoor exploration with Circle Time group activities, followed by snacks, outdoor play and stories. Morning and afternoon attendance both include these elements. Repeated routines help children anticipate what comes next.

In June 2022, stories also became imaginative play: children recreated The Tiger who came to Tea and talked through the story afterwards. That example linked listening to a book with acting out its ideas. Mathematical activities included counting, comparing shapes and looking for numbers outdoors, although teaching suitable mathematics to the youngest children was an improvement priority.

Outdoor and Community Life

Local library trips and an end-of-year outing extend learning beyond the nursery, and parents are encouraged to take part. Coffee mornings and fun days provide further opportunities for families to join nursery life.

In June 2022, children made regular visits to local shops and the library, and described posting letters to relatives. Outdoor activity at that time included balance bikes, climbing and crawling through tubes. These are dated examples of how everyday experiences were used for language, physical practice and understanding the surrounding community.

Relationships and Communication

A child's key person takes responsibility for induction, observations and the learning journal, as well as support with nappies and toilet training. Allocating that person before the start gives the family an identified practitioner to build a relationship with.

Settling begins with a parent-accompanied taster lasting one hour. The next stage introduces a short separation, with a longer session following when the child is ready; children who need more time can build up their attendance gradually. The nursery and parent agree the plan together.

Tapestry is the online learning journal used to hold observations and assessments, share photographs and let parents contribute comments or pictures from home. Families can access their child's journal whenever they wish, and receive a paper copy when the child leaves. Alongside daily updates and review meetings, it gives parents material to discuss with their child and a way to add information about learning outside nursery.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

SENCO representatives, the nursery's special educational needs coordinators, support the identification of additional needs, work with parents and liaise with outside professionals. Their role includes planning the move onwards to school. This gives families a defined route for discussing development and coordinating support, without implying that nursery attendance brings an admissions advantage.

Staff have first-aid training, and the nursery has designated safeguarding lead roles. These arrangements cover first aid and designated responsibility for safeguarding. Support with toilet training is part of the key person's responsibilities, while parents supply the child's nappies, wipes and spare clothes.

Sessions and Attendance

Darul-Arqum Nursery operates during term time, with morning sessions from 9am to noon, afternoon sessions from 12.30pm to 3.30pm and all-day attendance from 9am to 3.30pm. Children must attend at least three sessions each week, on agreed fixed days. Those requirements matter as much as the clock times: this is a regular weekly arrangement rather than an occasional booking.

The main intakes are September, January and April. Applications enter a waiting list in date order, with priority for children receiving government funding, those in the nursery's catchment and siblings of children already attending.

An application form starts the joining process. Families can contact the nursery by telephone or email, and a contact form can be used to arrange a visit. Withdrawal requires at least four weeks' written notice, so families changing childcare arrangements need to allow for that commitment.

Getting There

The address is Purlwell Lane, Batley, WF17 7NQ, and the nursery occupies the ground floor of the Madressah building.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered during term time. The nursery sets out 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds, 30 hours for eligible three- and four-year-olds, and 15 hours for eligible two-year-olds. Eligibility remains a condition for the latter two entitlements; attendance and funding should be understood alongside the fixed-day and minimum-session arrangements.

Private childcare is also offered, with half-day choices with or without lunch supervision and a full-day option. Snacks and baking carry a separate charge, while lunch can be brought from home or ordered from an external caterer for an additional charge. Parents also provide nappies, wipes and spare clothing when needed, and sun cream for summer sessions.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the charge categories set out on its fees page. Payments are due by the deadline given each term; bank transfer and Tax-Free Childcare are accepted.

• Regular term-time attendance. Fixed days and a minimum of three weekly sessions make the pattern a substantial commitment even for families choosing mornings or afternoons. At a visit, discuss how the settling plan will fit those agreed days.
• Early independence and mathematics. In June 2022, the improvement priorities were greater independence at meals and more age-appropriate mathematics for very young children. Ask how two-year-olds now practise these skills during an ordinary session.
• Food and care supplies. Snacks and baking are charged separately, catered lunch costs extra, and parents can send a packed lunch instead. Families managing an allergy should discuss current food arrangements, alongside the nappies, wipes and clothing they need to supply.
• Safeguarding follow-up. The 22 January 2025 visit identified unmet requirements and recorded steps concerning safeguarding training and procedures. Ask about the completion of those steps and current staff training.

Darul-Arqum suits families seeking a regular term-time preschool pattern, whether that means mornings, afternoons or all-day attendance. Its enclosed garden, age-separated indoor provision and gradual settling process give parents concrete reasons to consider it. Tapestry adds a useful connection between nursery learning and home.

The June 2022 Good judgement is part of the picture, with improvement priorities that deserve attention alongside the strengths. For families whose weekly routine matches the fixed-day booking requirements, the combination of outdoor exploration, play-based learning and an identified key person makes this a practical option to explore.