ABC Castle Nursery

Wooden-block houses, messy exploration and breathing exercises give ABC Castle Nursery's February 2025 nursery day a recognisable character. Children could investigate how things work, make something of their own and practise calming themselves. Everyday independence mattered too.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 21 February 2025 inspection. Based at 95 Church Street in Leigh, it accepts children aged 2 to 60 months. The inspection's main reservations concerned how staff modelled spoken language and the breadth of their professional development.

In February 2025, learning followed the early years foundation stage, the framework for children's learning, development and care: play gave children opportunities to communicate, explore and develop practical skills. Activities started from children's existing knowledge. Older children discussed housebuilding materials before taking builders' roles and constructing houses with wooden blocks, connecting conversation with imaginative play.

Younger children kept experimenting with electronic toys until they could operate them. Babies explored shaving foam and gloop, while their play areas had been rearranged to encourage large movements. These examples give parents something concrete to weigh: exploration involved persistence, sensory experiences and physical challenges, rather than simply moving between activities.

Creative work also featured in February 2025. Children painted, assembled cardboard collages and tried drawing inspired by artists. Chinese New Year celebrations introduced cultural traditions through clothing and food. Looking at themselves in mirrors prompted conversations about individual differences, bringing an abstract idea into something children could see and discuss.

At the February 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, gave especially strong praise to emotional support and SEND provision, and described carefully monitored intervention plans supported by relationships with external professionals. For families needing additional support, the useful detail is that plans were reviewed and specialist links supported the work with children.

During February 2025, settling involved staff learning about both children and their families. Yoga and meditation sessions introduced breathing and relaxation techniques, giving children practical ways to manage feelings. Staff also encouraged children to put on coats and help clear away toys. Preparation for school included these small acts of self-reliance.

The address is 95 Church Street, Leigh, WN7 1AZ. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with bank holidays and a week at Christmas closed.

In February 2025, the nursery offered government-funded childcare places. That dated position sits alongside the inspection's account of learning and care; it does not establish an individual family's entitlement.

• Spoken language. In February 2025, some staff used inaccurate vocabulary, and improving pronunciation was an action point. At a visit, ask how practitioners now model words during play.
• Staff development. Training concentrated on required subjects in February 2025, leaving differences in practice. Ask how further training now supports consistent interactions across the team.
• Early starts. The opening window begins at 7.30am. Discuss the booking pattern you need, including how funded hours, meals and consumables would fit into it.

ABC Castle Nursery merits consideration by families who value creative exploration and practical independence. Its February 2025 activities gave those priorities substance, from construction play to children managing their own coats. The Good judgement is balanced by specific concerns about spoken language and staff development, both useful subjects for a visit.