Sunflower Daycare

Building a bridge from bricks, practising with tweezers and learning to serve lunch: Sunflower Daycare's September 2023 nursery day combined practical independence with hands-on learning. This Castleford setting has capacity for 56 children, with its home at Houghton House in Glasshoughton. Its character is rooted in play, encouragement and children trying things for themselves.

At its 25 September 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, finding that children made good progress and that safeguarding arrangements were effective. That judgement is a dated assessment. Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings give families different attendance patterns.

Learning through play is the current approach, with creativity and exploration encouraged. The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: everyday play and interaction should help children develop communication, physical skills and independence.

In September 2023, practical activities gave that learning a concrete shape. Children cut dough using scissors and lifted small pom-poms with tweezers, exercising the hand movements used in early writing. A bridge-building activity encouraged persistence: children added bricks as they worked out how to strengthen their construction. These were purposeful things to handle and solve, rather than learning confined to listening. The bridge example also showed children returning to a task until it worked. Encouragement accompanied their attempts, so the activity involved both working out a solution and being recognised for the effort involved. For parents, it is a useful example of persistence within ordinary play.

Language also ran through the September 2023 day. Staff expanded children's words into sentences and discussed what they were doing. Drawing their own reflections prompted children to talk about their features and compare them with friends. Books and songs created further opportunities to discuss characters and explain unfamiliar words.

Outdoor play in September 2023 included large wooden logs for jumping across, with an adult's hand available when needed. In the construction area, children loaded stones into trucks and emptied them again. Both examples involved movement and exploration, giving a different kind of activity from the small hand movements used indoors.

There were clear teaching limitations in September 2023. Some planned activities were not developed closely enough around what individual children needed to learn. Leaf printing, for example, left opportunities to discuss colour and texture unused. Counting featured in songs and setting tables, but bridge-building did not stretch children's mathematical thinking as far as it could. Those two points deserve attention alongside the positive examples.

In September 2023, babies received comforting cuddles, while older children were encouraged through praise. Independence developed in small steps: babies practised eating with spoons with adult help, and older children chose their portions and served themselves. Tidying after meals and looking after toys gave children practical responsibilities within the day.

Communication with families in September 2023 covered daily experiences, achievements and what children would work on next. Staff also helped parents understand ways to support learning at home. Regular assessments were used to identify children who needed additional help, connecting observation with the next steps in their learning.

Everyday hygiene in September 2023 involved specific routines. Surfaces were cleaned ahead of meals and after play, and practitioners used protective aprons and gloves for nappy changes. Children were encouraged to wash their hands thoroughly after using the toilet. These examples connect adult care with habits children can practise themselves: hygiene was part of both staff routines and children's growing independence.

Staff development also received attention in September 2023. The manager reviewed practitioners' knowledge and skills, supported by discussions with staff and training courses. That matters alongside the teaching limitations described above: checking staff knowledge and making training available were part of the nursery's work, while the inspection still identified ways to make planned learning more precise. The distinction helps families weigh the arrangements for staff development against what children actually experienced during activities.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Morning bookings run from 7.30am to 12.30pm, and afternoon bookings from 1pm to 6pm. A full-day booking provides ten hours within the 7.30am to 6pm opening window. The distinction matters: the full-day booking is described by its duration within that window.

Bank holidays and the Christmas break are closures. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 07858 922822.

Getting There

The address is Houghton House, 131a Leeds Road, Glasshoughton, Castleford, WF10 5JT. Castleford College and ASDA Glasshoughton are neighbouring landmarks.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered: 15 term-time hours for two-year-olds meeting income or benefits criteria, 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds, and 30 term-time hours for eligible working parents of three- and four-year-olds. Private sessions are also offered; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Standard sessions include food: the full day includes meals and snacks, the morning includes breakfast, lunch and snacks, and the afternoon includes dinner and snacks. The prices and funding page sets out the session structure.

• Teaching beyond the activity. The September 2023 improvement points concerned individual learning intentions and broader mathematical thinking. On a tour, ask how staff now extend an activity such as building or printing.
• Ten-hour full days. Morning and afternoon sessions have fixed times, while the full-day booking provides ten hours within a longer opening window. Match the booking to the hours your family needs.
• Funded-place costs. Standard-session food is included. For a funded booking, what are the arrangements for meals, snacks and non-food consumables?

Sunflower suits families considering either morning or afternoon care as well as a ten-hour full-day booking. Its September 2023 examples give substance to the play-based approach, especially practical independence, language and physical exploration. The teaching improvement points deserve attention alongside those practical strengths.