Castle View Private Day Nursery
Good★ 4.4 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Durham for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 September 2021, though that is 5 years ago now. Open since 1997, with 135 places.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
DH3 4AFWhat 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, 10 September 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and settled, and have warm and respectful relationships with their key person. They arrive eager to start their day in nursery. Staff collect lots of information from parents when their children first start. This helps children to settle quickly. Children access an environment that is well organised, safe and secure.
They enjoy many opportunities to play in the vast outdoor areas. When children explore woodland areas, they delight in looking for butterflies. Staff challenge children to recognise the colours on the butterflies and count how many they see.
There is a strong focus on developing children's mathematical skills. When children build with construction blocks, staff encourage them to count how many blocks they have used to build their towers. Younger children sing number rhymes and explore shapes and colours. Children behave very well. Staff use specific praise with children to help them understand what they have done well. Children learn to share, take turns and respect each other. Children have lots of opportunities to develop their physical skills. Babies are encouraged to roll and crawl. Toddlers develop their small-muscle skills when they fill and empty containers with sand and water. Older children practise jumping, skipping, running and rolling hoops. They learn to balance carefully on ride-on bikes and stepping stones. The manager has ensured that flexible settling-in visits have continued throughout the COVID-19
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide professional development opportunities for staff to extend their knowledge in the teaching of early reading and writing to better support the early literacy development of younger children n plan children's transitions to the next room more carefully and share information about children's next steps in learning, so that staff can plan precisely for what children need to learn next from the start n extend staff's understanding and knowledge of how to support children's language development, so that all children can make the best possible progress in their communication skills.
- 10 September 2021Good
- 9 February 2015Outstanding
- 3 March 2010Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Castle View Private 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.