Grey Fell Academy

An acre of gardens, wooded areas and patios gives Grey Fell Academy a clear outdoor identity. This Shepley nursery combines space to explore with practical routines: younger children have areas for sleep and play, while preschool children choose resources, dress for outdoor activities and help with lunch. Independence runs through the day.

At its April 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. Its current age range is five months to five years, with capacity for 34 children in total. Full-time and part-time care are offered. The strongest reasons to consider it are the outdoor setting, the detailed communication arrangements and the concrete steps children practise before moving to school.

Rooms and Ages

The Under Two’s Room, labelled birth to two, has a maximum of 15 children, areas for sleep, rest and play, and individually adapted routines. This is a room cap, not daily attendance; the nursery accepts children from five months.

For ages two to three, the Two’s Room combines activities based on individual interests with specialised play areas and free-flow indoor-outdoor access, giving children choices about where to play.

The Pre-School Room, for ages three to five, has self-selected resources, indoor-outdoor choice and a quieter work area; making name labels, dressing and serving lunch give children practical responsibilities before school.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the educational framework: children develop communication, movement and relationships alongside early mathematics, literacy, creative expression and understanding the world. Here, individual interests shape planning, and learning through play gives children opportunities to investigate, persist and try their own ideas. The framework is the foundation of the day, rather than an extra programme.

Gardening lessons involve growing fruit, vegetables and flowers. This gives children something tangible to care for and observe over time. French lessons add language learning, while an outside company delivers Music & movement lessons, including for the youngest room. These additions sit alongside the EYFS; they do not replace it.

In April 2022, a body model introduced vocabulary about organs and breathing, water play involved comparing container sizes, and number songs combined counting with actions. Language and mathematics grew from practical activities.

In April 2022, adults sometimes asked questions too quickly and relied on closed answers. The teaching priorities were more response time and questions encouraging problem-solving, so children could develop their own ideas.

Outdoor and Community Life

Woodland, grass and patios provide varied spaces to explore. The youngest children are encouraged outdoors in different weather, with garden displays introducing shapes, letters and numbers.

In April 2022, children practised movement and balance on hills, logs and wheeled toys.

Year-round festival celebrations include Eid, Chinese New Year and Carnival De Venice. Making lanterns, cards and gifts, and tasting international foods introduce cultural differences through practical experiences.

Candlelighters, supporting Yorkshire families affected by childhood cancer, was the 2025 charity. That spring’s fundraising week included an obstacle duck waddle and a representative’s visit, giving children direct involvement in the project.

Relationships and Communication

Children in the younger rooms have a key person as a consistent family contact. Babies’ home routines are followed where possible, and daily books share meals, sleep, nappy changes and activities between home and nursery.

Iconnect Learning Journals documents learning online. Parents can view records, comment and upload photographs or observations, adding home experiences to staff’s account.

Newsletters, notice boards and twice-yearly parent evenings or calls complement daily records. Families can contact staff during the day or speak at its beginning or end.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO works with colleagues, key people and families, with parents invited to meetings to review development and contribute to the next steps. Outside agencies can be brought into the setting for additional training. This describes a support process families can discuss in relation to their own child, rather than a blanket assurance about every need.

The Dingley's Promise Training Mark of Achievement recognises the team’s participation in training for inclusive early-years practice; 75% of the team completed the relevant training. The practical value is the emphasis on staff development around SEND, alongside the SENCO’s coordination of support.

At the April 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND benefited from coordinated work between key people, families and outside agencies and were progressing well. Regular meetings involving different agencies and daily communication with parents formed part of that support at the time. Those findings are dated; the current SENCO arrangements provide the present mechanism for discussing a child’s needs.

All staff have paediatric first-aid training, and safeguarding responsibilities are assigned within the management team. Policies covering safeguarding, medication, illness and toilet training are provided when families join and can be viewed at the nursery. These are arrangements to understand as part of care planning, rather than a substitute for the dated safeguarding judgement.

Food is cooked at the nursery on a three-week menu cycle, with individual dietary requirements catered for. Its food policy excludes nut products, raw eggs and beef, and states that sugar and salt are not added during preparation.

Preparation for school includes pre-phonics, recognising letters and sounds, pen control and managing shoes and coats. Teachers are welcomed to visit before children move on. The emphasis is on familiar skills and relationships, helping children practise the practical and communicative demands of their next setting.

Sessions and Attendance

Full-time and part-time care are offered, and opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year and closes on bank holidays. This supports families needing continuing childcare beyond school terms, while the part-time option serves those seeking a smaller attendance pattern.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone or by email. The form asks for the child’s intended room, start date and number of days, making these the practical starting points for an enquiry. A visit-booking route is also offered.

Getting There

The address is Holmfirth Road, Shepley, Huddersfield, HD8 8AZ. The nursery is on the A635 and has parking away from the main road.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered. For eligible children from the term after their nine-month birthday to age two, the entitlement described is 15 hours a week during term time; for three- and four-year-olds, 15 hours starts in the term after the third birthday, with another 15 hours for working parents who meet the eligibility conditions.

For the older age group, funding is calculated over each term and divided across its months before being deducted from monthly fees, so bills do not increase during school holidays. Meals and nappies are included without additional charges under this funding arrangement. For babies using formula, parents supply their child’s own milk, so consumables have different arrangements depending on the item.

Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation. The important distinction for a family budget is between the funded entitlement, the hours booked and the items supplied from home.

• Thinking time in teaching. In April 2022, questioning sometimes gave children too little time to answer and too few opportunities to develop their ideas. On a visit, ask how staff now use open questions and allow children time to think.
• The youngest room. The Under Two’s Room has a maximum of 15 children and separate areas for rest, sleep and play. Ask how the room is organised around your baby’s routine and how the key person shares daily care information.
• Funding against your attendance pattern. Younger children’s funding is term-time, while the older children’s arrangement spreads deductions across monthly bills. Ask for a written quotation showing how your chosen days, funded hours, meals and nappies fit together.
• Dietary requirements. The nursery caters for individual diets and has a policy excluding nut products. Families managing allergies should confirm current food preparation and handling arrangements for their child.

Grey Fell Academy suits families seeking full-time or part-time childcare with substantial outdoor exploration. Its acre of grounds, daily care records, Iconnect Learning Journals and SENCO process give that offer substance.

Practical preschool preparation builds independence through names, clothing and lunch routines. The April 2022 Good judgement provides a dated quality reference; questioning and thinking time remain the teaching points to explore.