Childcare@sandal
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Wakefield for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2024. Open since 2014, with 49 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 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 5NUWhat 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, 30 September 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders have worked hard since the last inspection to ensure that they implement a curriculum that helps children to build on what they already know and can do.
Learning is sequenced and helps children to learn new skills and knowledge as well as practise their developing skills. The key person system has been strengthened to ensure that all staff know children's needs and what they are learning next. This ensures that, even if a child's key person is not present, children receive continuity of care and learning so that they continue to make good progress. Staff build positive and nurturing relationships with all children so that feel safe and secure.
Staff help children to be ready for school. They teach them what is expected of them and to be independent. Children learn how to socialise and make friends. By the time children go to school, they can communicate their needs and follow instructions. Staff teach children what is expected of them. They encourage them to share and to be kind to each other. When children occasionally struggle with their emotions, staff know when to intervene sensitively to help them. They talk about feelings during play and while reading books. Children learn how to recognise and manage their own feelings.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- continue to develop individual coaching and supervision arrangements for all staff to strengthen practise and ensure consistency across the whole team n strengthen communication and partnerships with parents so that they can support their children's learning even further at home.
- 30 September 2024Good
- 27 November 2023Needs improvement
- 21 February 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Childcare@sandal
- 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.