Castle Nurseries at Willow Avenue

A dance studio, a shared dining space and a landscaped outdoor area give Willow Avenue a physical character beyond its three play rooms. This Fenham nursery has capacity for 90 children, accepting ages from three months to five years. Its spaces accommodate movement, meals, exploration and rest, rather than expecting one room to do everything.

At its April 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall and found that its carefully sequenced curriculum supported children's learning, with independence and confidence receiving clear attention. Two practical improvements were required: stronger teaching about healthy habits and more purposeful outdoor learning for the youngest children. Those points matter alongside the positive judgement.

The nursery opens across the year, with a daily opening window from 8am to 6pm. The combination of baby, toddler and preschool provision makes it relevant to families choosing care at different stages of early childhood.

Rooms and Ages

The baby room emphasises exploration and the development of relationships with keyworkers; the nursery also has a cosy area for sleep. That gives the youngest children's day a balance between investigating their surroundings and having somewhere to rest.

For two-year-olds, the toddler room emphasises independence, movement and exploration. The pre-school facilities concentrate on preparation for later learning and the move to school. These are different emphases for different stages, rather than a single description applied across the whole nursery.

A large hall and communal dining area sit alongside the play rooms. The dance studio accommodates yoga, baby massage and physical activity, giving these activities a specific indoor space. Here, yoga and baby massage are uses of the studio; they should not be read as a promise of a particular timetable or frequency.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent terms, learning and everyday care belong together: play, communication and growing independence all contribute to the nursery day.

In April 2024, children practised independence through ordinary decisions and responsibilities. Younger children selected food, while older children helped at lunchtime. These examples make the curriculum tangible. Choosing and helping were opportunities to participate, rather than tasks reserved for adults.

Preschool children also took part in a play dough disco in April 2024, pressing, squeezing and rolling dough while staff joined in and offered help. The activity combined hand movements with participation in a shared experience. During the same visit, two-year-olds rebuilt a fallen tower and continued experimenting with bricks, supported by staff. Persistence was visible in a specific piece of play.

Outdoor and Community Life

The landscaped outdoor area provides space for active play. In April 2024, babies also used a decked area that allowed them to move and explore freely. This was a useful physical addition to the baby room's play spaces.

The larger outdoor space needed more careful planning for very young children at that date. Children sometimes moved rapidly between large physical resources rather than staying engaged in an activity. Outdoor space was therefore a strength of the premises, but the educational use of it required attention too.

Relationships are central to the baby room's current approach, with keyworkers supporting exploration and new connections. Staff receive training tailored to their work, which is relevant to a nursery spanning babies through preschool children.

In April 2024, each child had an allocated key person during settling. Babies received cuddles and gentle singing as they became accustomed to spending time in the nursery, including support when they became tired and fell asleep. These are concrete examples of how the transition into care was handled at that time.

At the April 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and highlighted especially strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including prompt identification of needs with parents, referrals for external help and staff using words and signing to support communication. The practical value lies in those mechanisms: noticing a need, discussing it with the family and bringing in additional help where required.

Health teaching was less consistent in April 2024. Children were encouraged to manage tasks such as wiping their noses, but adults did not reliably demonstrate handwashing afterwards. Independence needed to be paired more clearly with an explanation and demonstration of healthy routines.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Greenway, Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 9TU. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and the nursery operates for 51 weeks each year. Closures include bank holidays and a week at Christmas, so across-year care still includes planned breaks.

Holiday care is offered throughout the year. This is relevant to families whose childcare needs continue beyond school terms, while the closure pattern remains part of planning annual cover.

Enquiries can be made directly to the nursery on 0191 2744563. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Purposeful outdoor play. In April 2024, the youngest children's engagement in the larger outdoor area needed improvement. During a visit, ask how activities now help babies sustain attention alongside physical exploration.
• Healthy routines. Handwashing demonstrations were inconsistent in April 2024. Ask how staff connect growing independence with practical teaching about hygiene throughout the day.
• The cost of your attendance pattern. Willow Avenue operates across the year and offers holiday care. Before committing, ask for a written explanation of how funded hours, paid attendance, meals and consumables would work for your child's proposed pattern.

Willow Avenue suits families seeking care from babyhood through preschool, with across-year opening and holiday care. Its dance studio, sleep area and outdoor spaces give the nursery a recognisable physical offer, while the April 2024 examples show a day built around play and growing independence.

The Good judgement is useful, but the detail carries more decision value: supportive settling, practical SEND mechanisms and two clear areas for improvement. Families weighing this nursery should pay particular attention to how healthy routines and babies' outdoor learning are handled now.