Abacus Nursery
Good★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Wakefield for babies from 6 months up to school age, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2021. Open since 2006, with 166 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
What childcare usually costs in Wakefield
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Wakefield from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
WF1 4DGWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 29 October 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children delight in being in this welcoming, safe and exceptionally well-resourced environment. Parents comment that their children do not turn around and wave, as they so eager to meet their friends and for their learning to begin. Staff use information from parents to plan challenging activities for children's learning from the start. Children are busy and full of excitement at the freedom they have to develop their curiosity. Babies confidently crawl around their environment, exploring the variety of resources on offer. They watch other babies with interest, inquisitive to see what they are doing. Older children relish the openness in the outdoor forest environment. They hide behind trees and bushes, giggling and shouting 'boo' as other children hurry past.
Older children develop their understanding of the natural world. They pretend to be bird watchers. Children bend down to look through the gaps in the wooden wall of the nature hide. They discuss, as a group, the birds that they can see. Children talk about the food the birds might be looking for, and wonder if the birds have found any insects. Children have high levels of respect for their environment. Younger children concentrate intently as they sweep leaves from their outdoor equipment.
They want to ride bikes and very carefully use brushes to remove leaves before using the bikes. Older children pick up armfuls of leaves and put them into containers. Children work together to carry the containers to the forest area. They talk about having 'big muscles' as they lift the containers up, manoeuvring them into place to be emptied. Their faces glow with joy and happiness at these achievements.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review staff's practice to ensure that all children are fully engaged in activities to further develop children's concentration skills n support staff to develop consistency in supporting children's mathematical development, particularly children's understanding of numbers and counting.
- 29 October 2021Good
- 25 April 2016Good
- 21 January 2010Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Abacus Nursery
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Meals
- Nappies
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.