Castle Nurseries at Willow Avenue
GoodTakes funded hours★ 4.4 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Newcastle upon Tyne for babies from 3 months up to 5 year olds, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2024. Open since 2002, with 90 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Eligible children of working parents 9m + = 30 hours per week (38 weeks); 2 year funded entitlement for eligible children = 15 hours (38 weeks); Universal entitlement for all 3&4 year olds = 15 hours (38 weeks).
What childcare usually costs in Newcastle upon Tyne
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Newcastle upon Tyne 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
NE4 9TUWhat 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.
- 7 July 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 16 April 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The manager and staff place children and their families at the heart of their practice. This is evident from the moment children arrive in the nursery. They excitedly look at pictures creatively displayed on the entrance hall walls, some of which show recent Eid celebrations with their families. The manager's highly enthusiastic and welcoming approach ensures that children feel secure and they enjoy the time they spend in nursery. She passionately says that 'our children need to feel safe and loved', which demonstrates total devotion to her role.
All children access an ambitious and well-thought-out curriculum that supports their learning well overall. Integration of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is of high priority, and children benefit from excellent support from the staff team, in partnership with external agencies. This becomes apparent when children in pre-school enjoy a 'play dough disco'. They squeeze and press their balls of soft dough in their hands and turn around as they skilfully roll the dough. Staff take an active part and provide support if they feel children require a little extra help.
Children behave exceptionally well for their age. Staff make their expectations clear, including at the beginning of group times, so children understand and respond to appropriate boundaries. Throughout the nursery, there is a continual buzz of excitement, showing that children thoroughly enjoy attending.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- help children to develop a deeper understanding of practices that support their good health n sharpen the focus on learning when very young children play outdoors, to fully support their attention and concentration.
- 16 April 2024Good
- 15 June 2018Outstanding
- 18 August 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Castle Nurseries at Willow Avenue
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? 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.