Castleton Playgroup & Afterschool Club
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Rochdale for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 15:00, 2 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2023. Open since 2015, with 12 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 Rochdale
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Rochdale 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
OL11 2QDWhat 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 November 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children show curiosity and enjoyment in their play as staff offer engaging activities that reflect their interests. Staff join in with children's play and praise them regularly. This helps children to feel safe and valued. Children behave well as staff demonstrate respectful interactions with children and each other. Children are learning to become more independent and are proud of their achievements. For example, staff encourage children to put on their own coats and brush their teeth.
In addition, staff plan for challenging outdoor experiences utilising the shared school nursery space. This helps children to develop the skills that they need for successful future learning.
Staff model new words and interesting vocabulary and repeat back what children say. This helps children to develop a wider range of vocabulary. The manager recognises that some children need extra support with their language and communication skills. The staff work closely with the on-site children's centre to identify children with emerging speech and language challenges and put support in place to address these needs at an early stage. This is helping all children to develop skills they need to become confident communicators.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen existing supervision processes to identify any gaps in staff knowledge and target training and development more precisely n support all staff to adapt their teaching to help maintain children's interest and engagement in group-time activities.
- 10 November 2023Good
- 1 December 2017Good
- 31 January 2017Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Castleton Playgroup & Afterschool Club
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.