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Nursery at The Castle Nursery 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Greenhouses, vegetable patches and play shaped by children's interests give The Castle Nursery School its character. Children grow produce and eat it, making the connection between plants and food tangible. This is a maintained nursery school in Wakefield, federated with Crigglestone Nursery School, with an age range of two to five. Its Curiosity Approach accreditation sits alongside provision led by qualified teachers: exploration has an educational purpose.
Children have extended stretches of free-flow play, supported by adults who follow their interests. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings learning, development and care together; Birth to Five Matters helps staff plan within that framework. Under the Curiosity Approach, everyday objects and natural materials invite children to decide how to use them, rather than follow a fixed play script.
Books and number games add structure. A two-year sequence of core stories gives children repeated encounters with vocabulary. Little Wandle Foundations for Phonics uses songs, storytelling and listening games to develop awareness of sounds. Teaching Essential Number Sense (TENS) starts with noticing and recognising small quantities before counting, using five frames to explore number. These are concrete beginnings for later reading and mathematics.
In September 2023, classrooms were spacious and bright, while outdoor play included ramps among the trees, sand construction and a mud kitchen. Climbing and running gave children practice in larger movements. Today's curriculum also includes Rhythm Time, weekly dance and projects with artists from The Hepworth Gallery, bringing movement, music and creative work into play.
Language and consistency. The September 2023 inspection identified missed chances for adults to develop conversation and extend children's sentences. Pattern and spatial understanding also needed further development, while monitoring did not reliably detect differences in staff practice. These are useful areas to discuss when considering how adults support your child's play.
Key people support children's emotional, physical and learning needs, while staff work with families before children start. At the September 2023 inspection, parents described children settling promptly and enjoying nursery. Families can share photographs of activities at home through Class Dojo or the EEXAT learning journey, giving teachers another view of children's interests.
Emotion Coaching gives adults a way to acknowledge feelings and help children practise responses to them. Makaton signs accompany speech, adding a visual route into communication. Daily yoga provides a quieter activity alongside active play. In September 2023, children generally cooperated, but adults sometimes missed chances to explain the effects of unkind behaviour; responses to incidents were not consistently applied. Safeguarding arrangements were effective at that inspection. Children also brushed their teeth themselves after lunch, making self-care part of the day.
The Garden Room provides enhanced SEND support in a calmer space with fewer children and more staff. Its SCERTS model focuses on communication, emotional regulation and adjustments by adults. Sensory exploration, supported play and ongoing outdoor access allow learning to follow individual interests. Parents contribute to the Plan, Do, Review process, and staff work with speech and language therapists and Wakefield Inclusion SEND Support Service on small-step targets.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Wakefield Council's Reception admissions route and meet the deadline for their child's entry year. Treat that application as a distinct task from arranging nursery attendance.
Transition work has a separate purpose. Since June 2024, the federation has led local authority early years transition meetings for Wakefield's South and Rural areas. Summer meetings focus on handovers between settings and schools, helping receiving staff understand children before they begin their next stage.
The Castle opens from 8.50am to 3.30pm. Funded places include the two-year-old offer and working-parent funding, plus 15-hour and 30-hour funding for three- and four-year-olds. Additional sessions can be paid for; contact the school for current charges. Breakfast Club and Tea Club belong to Crigglestone, so families planning care around work should distinguish the two sites.
There is no uniform. Practical clothes, weather protection and a spare outfit suit water play and messy activities. Keep to the collection times agreed with staff: adults bringing or collecting children must be at least 16, and staff must be told beforehand about a different collector.
For enquiries, call 01924 664787 or email castleadmin@crigglestonecastle.wakefield.sch.uk. The address is 255a Barnsley Road, Wakefield, WF1 5NU. Families are invited to arrange a look around.
The age range is two to five. It is a maintained nursery school, federated with Crigglestone Nursery School.
The Castle opens from 8.50am to 3.30pm. The federation's Breakfast Club and Tea Club are at Crigglestone.
The Curiosity Approach supports children in following their interests. Little Wandle Foundations for Phonics develops listening and sound awareness, while Teaching Essential Number Sense develops early understanding of quantities.
It provides a quieter space, fewer children and a higher staffing level. The SCERTS model guides support for communication and emotional regulation, with parents involved in planning and reviewing individual targets.
No. Families must apply separately through Wakefield Council's Reception admissions route by the deadline for their child's entry year.
