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Nursery at Castle Court School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Woodland discoveries, swimming and a dance studio give Castle Court’s youngest children room to explore beyond their classroom. Badgers caters for children aged two to four within the school at Corfe Mullen, with the wider 35-acre estate forming part of its learning environment. This is a nursery where outdoor exploration sits alongside early language, number work and creative play.
In June 2025, the nursery had 39 children on roll. That is a dated attendance figure, rather than a capacity. The nursery belongs to the school’s early years provision, giving children access to facilities including the library, sports hall and Performing Arts Centre.
Play carries the learning. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) approach combines exploration and planned activities to develop communication, early reading and writing, and understanding of numbers. Forest School, seed planting and searches for minibeasts give children concrete things to investigate and discuss. Swimming, sport and dance add different ways to practise movement and coordination.
The Prep School Baccalaureate (PSB) begins here through shared play, solving problems and thinking about experiences. Castle Court’s 7Cs include curiosity, courtesy and collaboration. For a nursery child, those ideas become practical habits: sharing resources, waiting for a turn and working something out with a friend.
June 2025 early years findings show how this works in practice. An interest in a bug-themed book prompted a woodland minibeast search; children also identified shapes along a path and used sticks to form letters in soil. Outdoor ice-cream play brought together counting, colour vocabulary and conversations about preferences. These were early years examples, rather than a timetable promised for every nursery session. They show how adults connect children’s interests with language and mathematical ideas.
Communication with families supports the learning. In June 2025, early years leaders kept regular contact with parents about development and assessed children’s progress towards their learning goals. Adults also used everyday exchanges, such as asking to share a glue stick, to teach considerate language and responsibility.
Before nursery, Badger Cubs Club offers children aged three months to three years a chance to explore with a parent. Paint, craft and play sessions provide familiarity with the nursery surroundings. This is an introduction for families, rather than a nursery settling timetable.
Food is prepared by the school’s own catering team, with hot lunches among the school-day meals. School-wide SEND provision includes adapted resources, individual or small-group support, and work with speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. Families can share SEND and speech-development information during registration, helping staff understand needs from the outset.
Recruitment checks require attention in the inspection history. In June 2025, required checks on some adults were incomplete, breaching safeguarding and leadership requirements, including an EYFS suitability requirement. The ISI monitoring inspection on 13 March 2026 confirmed that checks were completed before adults started work or volunteering and that all standards examined at that visit were met. That outcome concerns the requirements checked during monitoring; it is not a nursery grade.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately through the normal admissions process. Castle Court’s registration form includes Reception as an entry option, with applications handled through the school. Keep that application distinct from choosing nursery sessions: familiarity with the setting is not an admission entitlement.
Badgers accepts 15 hours of early years funding. Charges depend on the sessions selected and their number, so the attendance pattern affects the family’s costs. Contact the admissions team for current charges.
Visits can be arranged through admissions@castlecourt.com or 01202 694438, and the visit page also has a booking form. A private tour gives families an opportunity to explore the grounds and meet staff before choosing the nursery.
Badgers caters for children aged two to four.
The early years programme includes Forest School, woodland exploration, planting seeds and investigating minibeasts.
No. Nursery attendance does not guarantee Reception admission; families must make a separate application through the normal admissions process.
Badgers accepts 15 hours of early years funding. Charges vary with the sessions chosen and how many a child attends.
Contact the admissions team on 01202 694438 or admissions@castlecourt.com, or use the form on the school’s visit page.
