Castle Day Nursery
Good★ 4.3 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in South Croydon for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 22:00, 7 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2022. Open since 2007, with 40 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Croydon
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Croydon 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
CR2 0NRWhat 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, 14 December 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children play happily alongside their friends at this welcoming nursery. They know staff well and have warm relationships with them. When children need help, they ask familiar staff to support them. Children feel secure and safe. This helps them to feel ready to learn. Children choose what to play with. They learn what they like to do. Children feel confident and take pride in their achievements.
Children have familiar routines. For example, they join in with circle time every day.
Children listen to staff and respond. They spend time choosing from fun resources, inside and outdoors. Children play with objects that interest them. When they struggle to manage their own feelings, staff take swift action to support them.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- consider all children's learning needs when planning and setting up activities n strengthen the monitoring and supervision of staff's practice to enhance the quality of education further.
- 14 December 2022Good
- 10 March 2017Good
- 3 February 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Castle Day Nursery
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
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.
- Is there a place for my child's age? 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.