Unicorn Nursery

A sleep room for younger children, a sensory room and outdoor space equipped for climbing, gardening and pretend play give Unicorn Nursery a practical, play-centred character. This Castleford setting has capacity for 60 children aged three months to five years. Its purpose-built premises make room for both active exploration and quieter parts of the day.

At its December 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received support that enabled them to participate in activities. That judgement belongs to that inspection date. The strongest everyday details are the attention to home routines for babies, accessible play resources and opportunities for older children to practise doing things themselves.

Attendance can combine full days with morning or afternoon sessions, within the minimum booking rules.

Rooms and Ages

Babies / Toddler accommodates the younger age group, from birth to two years in the room description, with a sleep room supporting rest away from active play. The nursery’s accepted age range starts at three months. Low furniture and mirrors bring the environment down to children’s level, while resources accessible to crawlers let younger children make choices before they are confidently walking.

Toddler / Pre School is for children aged two and over, with movement between stages also taking account of development and parents’ feedback. Older children can choose between areas for books, creative work, role play and early mathematical exploration. These are practical choices within the day rather than a succession of adult-directed tasks.

A sensory room adds another space to the building. Age-appropriate washbasins, toilets and furnishings help children become more independent.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) provides the framework for learning and care: children develop language, movement, social understanding and early literacy and mathematical skills through play and planned activities. This is the educational foundation, while experiences such as French, cooking, drama and music add different ways to explore and communicate.

Older children follow individual learning programmes that combine their own choices with activities led by adults. Mark making, investigating materials and sharing books sit alongside everyday jobs such as helping prepare tables and tidying shared spaces. Learning is connected to things children can actually do.

In December 2023, songs and commentary accompanied babies’ play; toddlers explored book illustrations, while older children washed dolls and discussed bath time at home. Everyday play gave children reasons to talk.

Squiggle and Wiggle supported toddlers’ physical development in December 2023. Older children also practised finger control by using tweezers to retrieve pretend rubbish from an ocean they had made. The programme and the smaller-scale activity addressed different aspects of movement.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor equipment includes bikes, playhouses, gardening resources and climbing equipment. Babies and toddlers have separate outdoor environments, with daily outdoor play subject to weather conditions; older children can take their activities outside using waterproof clothing. That gives outdoor learning a place within the day rather than reserving it for a special occasion.

Regular outings take older children to the library, park, shops and post office, with bus rides also among the experiences offered. These extend learning beyond nursery resources into familiar community settings. Off-site walks and visits require parental consent, so participation is part of the agreement between nursery and family.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is tailored to the child. Younger children can attend several introductory visits with a parent staying alongside them, and staff work with families to maintain familiar home routines. Photo books containing family members and pets provide recognisable images within the nursery. For a baby adjusting to new carers, those are concrete connections with home.

Each child has a key person responsible for their care and learning journal. The journal gathers observations and examples of the child’s development, including artwork and recordings, and moves with the child between rooms. Parents can contribute photographs, milestones and information from home, giving staff a fuller picture than nursery observations alone.

Written daily summaries cover activities, food and, where relevant, sleep and nappy changes. Twice-yearly parents’ evenings and discussions at other times give families opportunities to consider development beyond the daily routine.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In December 2023, support arrangements included contact with speech and language therapists and individual help from staff. Children also practised managing disagreements, taking turns and listening to one another. These inspection-time examples give substance to the dated judgement about inclusion and relationships.

There were two clear weaknesses in December 2023. Staff sometimes missed children who had disengaged during independent play, and confident children could dominate answers in adult-led activities. Quieter children consequently had fewer opportunities to contribute. Those points matter when considering how staff notice a child who needs encouragement rather than one who readily asks for attention.

Meals are cooked fresh in the nursery kitchen, with a four-week menu rotation. The nursery’s policy aims to keep food nut-free, and families must tell staff about allergies or intolerances.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Day Care Centre, Leeds Road, Castleford, WF10 5HA, with Old School Court used for contact details. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks, with closure on bank holidays.

Full days run from 7.30am to 6pm. Morning sessions run from 7.30am to 12.30pm, and afternoon sessions from 1pm to 6pm. Regular attendance starts at two days a week or three sessions, unless management agrees a smaller arrangement. Acceptance of recurring shift booking patterns over one, two, three or four weeks is limited.

Term-time-only booking patterns are also accepted, subject to a limit that excludes funded-only children. Increasing attendance requires one week’s notice under the terms, while reducing it or ending the contract requires one month’s written notice. Fees remain payable during sickness and holidays, including bank holidays, so those absences still form part of the childcare budget.

Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form. Parents must authorise collectors; staff will withhold release if permission is uncertain.

Funding and Paid Extras

The Free Early Years Entitlement covers 15 hours a week over 38 term-time weeks for three- and four-year-olds from the term after their third birthday, and for qualifying two-year-olds. Additional hours and days are charged separately and paid for in advance. Families should obtain current prices in a written quotation from the nursery, using the fees page to understand the charging structure.

Meals for children attending the 15-hour funded sessions carry an optional separate charge; parents can provide food instead, with a packed-lunch arrangement agreed with the manager for funded children. Parents supply preferred nappies, additional changing materials when required and any formula their baby needs.

There is no deposit. A registration charge reserves the booking pattern, except when a child attends only for the 15 funded hours. That exception matters when comparing a funded-only arrangement with attendance that includes paid care.

• Participation for quieter children. In December 2023, some children were overlooked during independent play and less confident children had fewer chances to answer in group activities. During a show round, ask how staff now recognise disengagement and make room for quieter voices.
• Booking commitments. Regular patterns start at two days or three sessions unless a smaller arrangement is agreed, and reductions require one month’s written notice. Compare those commitments with your working pattern before choosing between full days and shorter sessions.
• Food and baby supplies. Funded-session meals have an optional separate charge, while nappies, changing materials and formula come from home. Families managing allergies should confirm the current food arrangements and how an agreed packed lunch would be handled.

Unicorn Nursery suits families seeking either full-day attendance or morning and afternoon sessions, especially those who value accessible play spaces, a separate place for younger children to sleep and communication about the daily routine. For parents whose working weeks vary, acceptance of recurring shift booking patterns is limited.

The December 2023 Good judgement provides a dated quality reference, while the concrete offer is recognisable: family photo books for younger children, a sensory room, outdoor play and community outings. The most useful point to explore is how staff involve quieter children. The nursery’s spaces and activities matter most when each child receives the attention needed to use them.